View Full Version : The Speaker of the House
buddyrich
18-May-09, 18:34
How much longer is he going to cling on?
I know he's not completely innocent but I find it hypocritical of MP's who abused the system to turn round and blame the Speaker for not keeping them in line...they should also take responsibility for their own actions by doing the decent thing and that is to resign en masse.....
buddyrich
18-May-09, 18:56
He was a fairly ropey speaker anyway. He doesnt seem like a bad bloke but he didnt have the authority that boothroyd or weatherill wielded so brilliantly.
tonkatojo
18-May-09, 19:08
How much longer is he going to cling on?
On his wages plus fiddle and expenses etc, I should imagine as long as possible.[disgust]
buddyrich
18-May-09, 19:20
Sounds like a wager to me. Anyone want to give odds on how long he'll stay?
The Quicker he goes the better. Not just for the Expences Scandql but for all the other things that he has not done and the things he has done. Like letting the police search a MP Offices within the House of Commons without a Search Warrant.
What we need is a New Speaker with some Pith and Verve, someone like Betty Boothroyd, now there was a Speaker!!!
kmahon2001
18-May-09, 19:37
I know he's not completely innocent but I find it hypocritical of MP's who abused the system to turn round and blame the Speaker for not keeping them in line...they should also take responsibility for their own actions by doing the decent thing and that is to resign en masse.
Totally agree. I think this is just smoke and mirrors to try and deflect media attention from the MPs who have abused the expenses system, and of course the media, always looking for the next sensation, have jumped on it. They will now keep on and on until the Speaker does resign, then the MPs will get away with it all because the media spotlight will be on the Speaker and the expenses row will gradually fade into history.
How dare these greedy, corrupt, self-serving idiots call for the Speaker to be held accountable for their actions. Do they honestly think that the public will feel that the reputation of the House of Commons will be restored simply by getting rid of the Speaker. I wouldn't trust any of them now and any of them that have been claiming excessively should do the decent thing and resign. :mad:
Michael Martin may not be the strongest Speaker we've had, to be honest he is a bit ineffectual, and he may waffle and stutter his way through when he's quietly calling the braying MPs to order, but these greedy self-servers can't now tell us that the corruption was all his fault. He didn't make the rules, to which they all say they were sticking, and he didn't approve their expenses claims. They are adults, not children, and they decided for themselves to put in these claims and abuse the system. They should grow up and accept responsibility for their own actions.[disgust]
Alice in Blunderland
18-May-09, 21:29
I know he's not completely innocent but I find it hypocritical of MP's who abused the system to turn round and blame the Speaker for not keeping them in line...they should also take responsibility for their own actions by doing the decent thing and that is to resign en masse.
I agree with this point.:)
Theres no point in making this guy the sacrificial lamb, theres a whole flock of them who should, at this momment be rethinking their postitions. Not just the speakers.
They are just trying to take all the hype away from them by blaming him, sack the lot of them, they are all dishonest.
Tighsonas4
18-May-09, 21:51
the whole blooming lot of them were living it up at our expense
evev down to kit ksts and nappys [lol] tony
I think the PM should call a General Election immediately, that way the Speaker will save face for future historians and we can kickstart the political landscape. As a lifelong Labour voter it really hurts me to speak in this way given what the polls are saying but GB isn't gonna change so much in such a short time.
Gordon Brown looks like a lame-duck PM.
teenybash
18-May-09, 23:33
Would agree the speaker is being used as a scapegoat to divert attention away from the culprits who have pocketed our money, spending it on nonsense that has nothing to do with being an MP.
Unfortunately he does not have a natural authority and comes across as a weak man who simply is not suited for such an important position and his weakness has been used by MPs who are both unscrupulous and dishonest.[evil]
A general election should be called and let the UK vote.
I watched this live on Sky News it was Cringe time the poor man was awful
think its time for the Labour Government to go and for the Country to have a General Election
having said that god forbid that the likes of Esther Rantzen is going to stand as a Independant fair enough the woman did good with Child Line only helped by her programme
but now has become a Celebrity (whatever that really is or why ) Next we will have members of the government Dancing on Ice or whatever
skating on thin Ice Right now be more Apt
I watched this live on Sky News it was Cringe time the poor man was awful
think its time for the Labour Government to go and for the Country to have a General Election
having said that god forbid that the likes of Esther Rantzen is going to stand as a Independant fair enough the woman did good with Child Line only helped by her programme
but now has become a Celebrity (whatever that really is or why ) Next we will have members of the government Dancing on Ice or whatever
skating on thin Ice Right now be more Apt
With respect Anne, but I think Esther has been fighting for common justice and fairness all her life. I don't think celebrity should be a hindrance in what she thinks needs to be done.:)
As for appointing someone to investigate MPs expenses, I think Richard Branson would be an ideal choice.
With respect Anne, but I think Esther has been fighting for common justice and fairness all her life. I don't think celebrity should be a hindrance in what she thinks needs to be done.:)
As for appointing someone to investigate MPs expenses, I think Richard Branson would be an ideal choice.
Thanks for your respect Rheggs I did say the woman has done a great job with Childline and will never dispute that Her Consumer programme orginally hosted by Bernard Braden to which she originally was his side kick did some good and some dash silly and stupid things as well
My point not getting away from the original thread is She has become a Celebrity buy appearing in the jungle etc :roll:
R B anytime bring it on ;)
Aaldtimer
19-May-09, 03:41
I think Esther Rantzen has had more of a profile as a person of good and common sense from long before she appeared on any such Celeb programmes!
As for Branson...Mmmm, the jury's out on that one!:confused
....and I'll tell you something else for nowt-that bunch known as the Committee for Standards in Public Life should be disbanded too. What a total waste of time and money they have been. They must have very low standards and obviously a completely arrogant disregard for the British voter & taxpayer.
percy toboggan
19-May-09, 07:58
....and I'll tell you something else for nowt-that bunch known as the Committee for Standards in Public Life should be disbanded too. What a total waste of time and money they have been. They must have very low standards and obviously a completely arrogant disregard for the British voter & taxpayer.
Absolute nonsense - they should merely bring back Elizabeth Filkin (spelling?) to oversee a move towards complete transparancy in matters of M.P.'s renumeration. They didn't like her sniffing around their wallets a few years back so she must have been doing something right.
Speaker Martin is a joke. A man who has the corrupt and twisted vision of one who stopped the gravy train just long enough to climb aboard.
He sees society as owing him a debt for his hard upbringing and trade union background where, no doubt he will have done a good job in righting wrongs. All of that is in the past, eclipsed by his behaviour of the last seven days
Nobody has been more active than Martin trying to suppress the truth in this scandal. I watched all of his performance yesterday in the Commons.
He was like a helpless King Canute...refusing to acknowledge the tide lapping around his ankles, the storm gathering around his head.
How eagerly this old hypocrite has latched on to the eccentricities of an establishment he no doubt reviled in his younger days. There is none so contemptable as the poacher turned gamekeeper.
No start can be made on cleaning things up until this prime mover of secrecy, this guardian of the arcane is removed from office. He should be given until the end of the week to salvage some scintilla of self-dignity from this morass...
In the name of God man GO !...for any good you have done...GO!
Amy-Winehouse
19-May-09, 08:08
How much longer is he going to cling on?
Is one of those MPs that put down on their expenses trips to the football to Celtc park? In a limo? Disgraceful but at least he didnt put down a fake mortgage, for me that should result in a wee holiday for 3-6 months
changilass
19-May-09, 13:41
Looks like the poor guy has been given one almighty shove. Lets hope the rest act like lemmings and follow him over the cliff.
There is none so contemptable as the poacher turned gamekeeper.
Except for that precise phrase and my personal interest in such things I have to agree with all Percy says in his post on this occasion.
However, now I fear that the rest of the house will believe they have purged their wound and believe publc disgust will abate. I believe they'll be proved wrong [disgust]
Looks like the Speaker is about to resign. He is going to make a speach at 2,30pm and he is expected to announce that he will resign shortly, not straight away but sometime before July.
It has also been reported that Scotland Yard will Not investigate the leaking of details about MPs' expenses to the Daily Telegraph - Sky News.
Have just had a twitter from a insider of the the House of Commons.
Michael martin, the Speaker of the British House of Commons, will step down in June, Sky News has learned.
If this is true then you heard it here first, 10 minutes before his speach !!
There is none so contemptable as the poacher turned gamekeeper.
How dare you Percy [lol] I resemble that, I was a merchant seaman, who became a Customs Officer, the best on the job training, but maybe now I am an "Old Contempable"[lol]
It is now being suggested that there should be a Interim Speaker to last until the next General Election.
One name being put forward for an Interim Speaker is Ann Widdecombe.
Speaker is resigning on Sunday 21st June 2009.
Bit of a short speech that was. agree with Kodiak: Ann Widdecombe for speaker
Good riddance to the eejit - he was arrogant and when anyone had the temerity to question his appointment or ability he always played the "class" card.
And hopefully he won't be elevated to the Lords - about the only elevation he deserves are the steps up to the scaffold and the hangmans noose......
Your a hard man Madpict. :eek:
I heard him described as an MPs trade unionist and that describes him to me to a tee. He thought he was protecting parliament for the best even though their greed was seen as a perk.
I think we have to forgive the MPs because lets face it our country has a fantastic system and this present crisis should make the power hungry sods sit up and pay attention to the people.
The alternatives are non existant.
Not hard - just amazed, hearing all these glowing words of praise about the same person who did his utmost to prevent MPs expenses being released under the FOI act. He mounted a legal challenge to prevent their spendings becoming public which cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds.
http://www.yrtk.org/2009/the-story-behind-dispatches-the-westminster-gravy-train/
They have all had their noses in the trough and now come out with their shallow apologies but the person who did his damnedest to keep it under wraps was Martin.
I'm sure he will be able to retire in comfort with all the nice things he's managed to buy on the back of our pounds......
No sympathy for the man here....
Problem is that you have a whole tier of hangers on, and spongers, in this country from Royalty downwards. A whole raft of people who have an inbred belief that they do not have to work to reap enormous benefits. Clear the whole bloody lot out.
percy toboggan
19-May-09, 16:35
....whilst I do not delight in seeing people fall from grace Michael Martin only has himself to blame.
All I shall add to my previous comments is his reluctance to allow transparency was his ultimate downfall, and his performance in the commons yesterday reminded me of the final hours of Rumania's dictatorial President Chow-chess-coo (I'll not pretend to have the spelling in my head)...the game was up and he knew it.
In the Daily Mail today they printed a stirring speech from Oliver Cromwell (by no means a model citizen hilmself but a giant from centuries past)....he was dissolving the 'Long Parliament in 1653'
how appropriate his words appear today. I believe this parliament should be dissolved within two or three months and a General Election called. I also believe that the numbers of M.P.'s who have broken the law is less than a score but the number who have manipulated the spirit of the law to feather their own nests at our expense - aided by an arcane system which gave them the green light - will be fewer than one hundred.
For those M.P's who have shamed themselves, and for all who share in condemning the greedy I reproduce Cromwell's address and I echo his sentiments....
"It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.
In the name of God, go! "
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