Most farewell speeches are a time to look back fondly and be positive about one’s achievements. Not so yesterday for Speaker Martin, who re-emphasized why he was not fit for the Honourable Robes of the Speaker and left a bitter stench in the air as he left the Chamber.
The first Speaker to be ousted for more than 300 years said it was ‘deeply disappointing’ that MPs did not vote last year to reform their allowances, adding: ‘I wish party leaders would have shown then some of the leadership they have shown now.’ This was a big parting shot at Gordon Brown who did not attend a crunch vote on allowances last July. This, cutting through the nice framing is ‘I was right, you were all wrong, you are making me the fall guy for all your failings. F*** the lot of you’!
Speaker Martin apologised for the expenses scandal. ‘Let me say to the men and women of this country —I am sorry’. ‘But also let me remind this House that it passed up an opportunity of dealing with this emotive issue less than a year ago. I regretted that then. I deeply regret it now’.
What makes this statement hypocritical is that Speaker Martin and Commons authorities spent £150,000 of taxpayers’ money fighting the release of details of MPs’ claims, only to be defeated in the High Court. The Speaker fought to cover-up, (yes cover-up), all the expenses deception. But failed. And thank god he did. The expenses published today—the official figures—are being reported as missing vital claims and have gaps in them. This includes MP’s addresses, so we cannot see who claimed each home as their main home—hence see who was ‘flipping’. No correspondence has been published between MP’s and the Commons fees office. What difference does that make….well we cant see claims for expenses but rejected by officials eg wreaths. MP’s were given several weeks with the documents and were allowed to black out information they believed should be withheld. Lastly, MP’s who have left the House have not been published eg Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, and the famous Lord Mandolsen. Is that Democratic Renewal…is that transparency? Is that open Government?
So hallelujah for the Daily telegraph. They have done a great public service to this nation and helped clean up Politics in the long term. They deserve our support and credit. Something many MP’s wont give. Shooting the messenger is poor show. The messenger only brought to light what was happening behind the scenes.
Brown does of course have blood on his hands over this. Whilst he shied away from the debate and the vote last year, he allowed his supporters to ensure the rejection of expenses reform. 33 of his Ministerial team voted to continue with the ‘John Lewis list’ system, which allowed MP’s to furnish their second homes at taxpayers expense. The Conservatives backed the change and voted to do so….so Speaker Martin’s swipe was not at Cameron. Cameron in his tribute to Speaker Martin even agreed with the Speaker that changes should have been made last year but their was not the will of the House as there is today.
Mr Speaker also stated that Parliament was ‘at it’s lowest ebb’. What we did not hear from him was any humility….any failings….some regrets but no mistakes. The Damien Green affair? Great that an all party committee now reviewing with a member of the Opposition in the Chair. Expenses….not my fault Guv….I would have sorted it last July. Blame Brown and DC.
I am sorry to say that John Bercow went further down in my estimation. Whilst he spoke of ‘a relentless snobbery and disdain from a section of the tabloid press who seemed to think that the elevation of the son of a merchant seamen represented some sort of constitutional outrage’. My favourite Tabloid, The Sun, said today, ‘Brown nosing and hypocritical MP’s lined up yesterday to pay their respects to a man they all knew was a dud’….’The worst offender of all was one of the favourites to success him — oily John Bercow. Rarely has an MP fawned so spectacularly and oozed false sincerity quite as much…’ I would not be able to quote that as eloquently as The Sun and agree with it entirely.
So we need change and MP’s still don’t get it. We see the resignation of Kitty Ussher as a Treasury Minister. Another accused of ‘flipping’ addresses to avoid a £17,000 capital gains tax. She allegedly sidestepped the tax by saying that her constituency home was her main residence for ONE month of the year in 2007. hence she did not have to pay tax when selling it—and get this—despite previously naming her London property as her main Home. This is also the lady who moaned about bad taste Artex ceilings and seeking from Commons authorities a £20,000 refurbishment of her London Home. But get this, her resignation letter. ‘I do not want to cause you or the Government any embarrassment. I did not do anything wrong’
That line again. ‘I did not do anything wrong’. The most used Parliamentary quote of the year.
What MP’s are disconnected over is that this is a moral issue. Would it pass a public sniff test of reasonable expenditure in line with their job? I think we can answer that. Again, why did she not resign at the start of the expenses scandal? Are MP’s biding their time waiting to see if the Daily Telegraph will publish their misdemeanors? Surely, waiting to see if a story is coming is deceit in itself. By stating she did not want to embarrass the Government…she has. The issue is back on the front page with another Ministerial resignation. Just as Brown was looking to stabilise his Government. As this mucky episode continues to drag on…lets see who jumps next.
So to conclude. Did you notice how sparse the Chamber was for Speaker Martin’s Farewell statement? The House of Commons has 647 sitting MP’s. There were only 105 Labour MP’s in the Chamber and 70 Opposition. That shows the mark of the man. His legacy. Presiding over the biggest collapse in trust in the Mother of all Parliament’s! Enjoy your garden in Scotland Michael Martin.
