Let Speaker Martin carry on - for now

A DEFIANT Speaker of the House of Commons has said he's not going anywhere and is determined to head an inquiry into parliamentary expenses and allowances. In other words, Michael Martin is daring MPs to sack him.

Of course, the Speaker is virtually fire proof. The Government can't dismiss him, and quite rightly so. Although the separation of powers is not so marked as in the United States, the executive has no ostensible ability to interfere in the duties and responsibilities of the legislative. It could engineer a coup by its backbenchers, but that would be a tricky and dangerous course to follow.

MPs are unlikely to revolt against the Speaker. He has the power to make or break MPs and as long as mud is sticking to Mr Martin over his expenses, they are pretty safe from too many inquiring hacks.

Mr Martin can do the country a massive favour by taking a knife to the nice little earners MPs currently enjoy over and above their salaries. After that. I would hope he would announce he is stepping down from a job to which he is not entirely suited. I have no objection to a person with working class and trade union roots from the mean streets of Glasgow reaching the top of the House of Commons pole - indeed it is rather refreshing. But like Governments, Speakers should regularly change to keep democracy alive and kicking.