Michael Martin under pressure as MPs expenses fiasco continues
Michael Martin, the Speaker of the House of Commons, is today under renewed pressure to relinquish his post after a disastrous showing in Parliament yesterday. While the Speaker of the House is traditionally impartial he launched a very public and very bitter attack on two MPs with regards to MPs expenses. Citing their "press coverage" he ridiculed those who disagree with his handling of the expenses fiasco and tomorrow could see a vote of no confidence in the Speaker.
Michael Martin is one of the most influential bodies in the House of Commons as he chairs a number of committees and is directly responsible for the expenses system. He is alleged to have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayer's money trying to block the release of MPs expenses. This is just the latest in a long line of bitter clashes with opposition MPs with many suggesting that he is favouring his Labour Party roots.
We have also seen an extension of the blame game over the last few days as different MPs look to blame the system, those administering the system and everybody else but themselves. The fact is MPs are not obliged to take expenses and their arms are certainly not twisted.
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