So Michael Martin leaves the big green chair on 21 June complete with his £1.4m pension pot and a peerage, having given his 30-second resignation speech to the Westminster Parliament. Who says public service doesn't pay.
I watched Newnicht and was dismayed by the Dundee MP Jim McGovern's attitude. "Snobbery and racism," he mentioned during his defence of Mr Martin; snobbery because Westminster MPs couldn't accept a sheet metal worker, working class Speaker and racism due to the label 'Gorbals Mick'. So many labour MPs have insisted snobbery was the cause of Mr Martin's departure, although two previous Speakers were certainly working class, George Thomas and Betty Boothroyd, both capable and respected Speakers. Is it a case of inverted snobbery? The racism comment from Jim McGovern may be slightly justified because, as all of us know, Michael Martin was not born or brought up in the Gorbals. He could have protested to the press out the use of this nickname but he did not.
But it was not snobbery or racism which caused Mr Martin to lose the respect of MPs - it was his incompetence in his defence of the status quo.
I've read much today about the changes Mr Martin intends to make before he leaves his post and also I've listened to the ramblings of Gordon Brown. Tony Sharp writes an excellent article entitled 'The consequences of letting the Speaker dictate terms.' Food for thought and definitely worth reading.
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25 comments:
Anyone else confused by Gordon Brown's position on Hazel Blears? He describes her behaviour as 'unnacceptable' but says that her career is not at risk - she has broken no laws and no rules. Conduct unacceptable, but accepted?
My guess is that Brown himself is at risk from this and has to be careful who he sacks.
My prediction, for what it is worth, is that Labour will play the anti-Jock card in Springburn, blaming the whole Speaker affair on upper class Tories, and remind the good "Labour dyed in the woolers" that they NEED to vote Labour again against Cameron in this test of the class war.
It will work, the sheep will line up for fleecing again.
I believe the snobbery was based not only on the basis the speaker was from the working. Class but that he never aped the Middle class English behaviors you see in Parliament. He was the same in speech and mannerisms after he became speaker.
George Thomas was deferential to the conservative Government and so was not made a target by the right wing press.Betty Boothroyd was from Dewsbury could you off known that from her accent...No
I do think you underestimate the English Tory reluctance to admit and accept they are equal and not better than people who are from outside the English elite.
especially if they have native accents..
its a bit like the footman sitting himself down to the evening meal amongst them to the meal(uninvited)
Come on have you never had a snooty English person say to you..
"I cant understand what you are saying"?
Vronsky
The time to worry is when they say "I give them my full support"
I thought George Galloway put it well
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/20/speaker-martin-snobbery
English snobbery can do a morris dance of delight at the political demise of the Speaker, Michael Martin. The bigots have put the taigs back in their place. Above all the MPs desperately seeking solace from the evisceration of the expenses scandal hope this will be enough to staunch the haemorrhage in public confidence.
For a certain class of Englishman every Catholic is a Mick and every working-class Scot is from the Gorbals. In fact, Michael Martin – it was always Michael! – has no connection to the Gorbals, but his elevation was a fillip to both: the first manual worker to sit in that ancient seat and the first Catholic since Cromwell to surmount the still considerable prejudice. Thanks to Speaker Martin my grandson Sean enjoyed the first Catholic baptism in the House of Commons Crypt since Cromwell turned it into a stable.
Vronksy, I've just heard Hazel Blears is away to her constituency this morning yet she has to give a report to parliament at 1.30. The chat is 'is she resigning?'
Aye of course they'll play that card Billy, they've been playing it all this week.
Niko yes he did keep his accent but so did George Thomas and Betty Boothroyd.
It's not just the English tories Niko, but there's something in the Scots makeup about feeling inferior.
Certainly I'm guilty of that and for years I used to think someone who spoke 'proper' English was superior to me. I must admit nobody tried to correct my assumption.
There is a confidence the English have that is missing in the average Scot. As we've said before some Scots translate it as arrogance when it's overpowering.
George Galloway is way off mark with his 'For a certain class of Englishman every Catholic is a Mick and every working-class Scot is from the Gorbals.' and should know better as a Dundonian.
For the many years I've worked with English people I've never been called Glaswegian and never had any problems about my religious beliefs.
Too much is being made of this Gorbals Mick stuff. Michael Martin could have stopped the use of the term quite easily. He had a press officer (one of them on Newnicht last night) and plenty other staff who had influence with the press.
Trust George to use the 'system' by managing to have his grandson baptised in the Crypt. No snobbery with you then George is there?
At the beginning yes there was some snobbery towards the Speaker and some fascinating stereotyping but in the end it was his incompitance that led to his downfall.
Im just reading Niko,s comment and although i do see his point im just wondering had one of the pro SNP blogs or bloggers wrote that then would we have been labeled as anti English ?
Im not having a go at Niko im just wondering if its okay for unionists to have a pop at the English but not the nationalists!!
A bit off topic.....Subrosa im trying to fix my blog list becouse your blog and a few others dont appear to be updating on mine. Yours is still showing a post from 22 hours ago yet you have updated your blog at least 4 times since then.
SNP T Voting is the same as is Scunnerts. Im not to sure how to fix this but im working on it and its a real pain.
Im not sure but every so often my blog does this..
Very good point Spook and you know the answer as well as me don't you.
Of course any supporter of Scottish independence would be labelled racist.
Spook if you find the answer let me know, I have the same trouble with a couple of my listed blogs.
AMW
Does have a point although i don't consider my self anti-English..Northerners etc i have always liked likewise most ordinary English folks.
I do dislike the English Conservative middle class(but then i do Scots as well). Perhaps subrosa is right about confidence in the English middle class but thats because they have always won..comes with being able to set the rules of the game I'm afraid.
One thing I'll bet on no matter who is in power after the next election the middle classes will do well.
In life confidence is equivalent to a MA I would say.....
some might say the Scottish( welsh and Irish)psychological interiors have been built using material given to them by the English state.
do dislike the English Conservative middle class(but then i do Scots as well). Perhaps subrosa is right about confidence in the English middle class but thats because they have always won..comes with being able to set the rules of the game I'm afraid.
Niko, they're the majority in the UK and a big majority at that so obviously they'll always dominate.
If you want it any other way then think that dirty word 'independence' :)
Niko i was in mo way saying you were anti English and i was agreeing with you but i do hope you can see my point if for example i was to write your coment then , well it would be Maddox mantra all over again.
Subrosa..Exactly...
....
On the blog problem, i have noticed most blogs have the same problem so i think blogger plc is having a few tech problems.
http://knownissues.blogspot.com/search/label/outstanding
PMQ,s is, this will be fun..
Thanks for your help Spook. Yes I think quite a few folks are having problems.
Isn't Brown just awful? Cameron was very effective.
I'll expand on what I said earlier because I feel it in my waters, the same I felt when Wendy jumped.
Labour will get back in when the Springburn by-election result is declared.
Already, the scumbag pals of Mick Fartin are playing the religion card, (Caflick) which is akin to Lard Ahmed playing the race card for his gullible adherants, and slyly tieing that to an anti English/ Class spin.
So it is the English Toffs (aka Lord Snooty) doing him down, because he does not speak proper and somehow there is a “masonic” element pulling the strings.
Already we have had the senior RC clergyman Archbishop Mario Conti breaking cover.
viz
"One of Scotland’s most senior Roman Catholic clergymen has criticised MPs for “hounding” Michael Martin out of his job as Commons Speaker."
Bet he wouldn’t have said that if the Speaker had been a Humanist.
This will be the line, thumped home by Pravda Central Scotland, aka BBC Scotland, and the dead tree press united.
Martin was the Scapegoat so don’t let the Tories Toffs win; Return the onkey with the red rosette and all will be well.
Already the Glenrothes tactic is being rehearsed; SNP certainty, Labour given up the ghost, etc and then wait for the postal votes to be filled in.
It is as plain as the ineptitude of Speaker Fartin that SLab will retain this seat because the sheeple will be lining up to be fleeced and will really believe they are doing the right thing.
Sad but I will wager a Twenty spot on at it at the bookies and I recommend you all do so too.
Billy I'm sure many will agree with you. I certainly do.
Are you listening children?
This is a story about a wee baby called James Gordon Brown who grew up to be Prime Minister of England.
Hear how he led his people into the Wilderness.
“I am angry and I am appalled. If my father, my parents, thought that these things were going on in the House of Commons, they would be utterly appalled,”
I fear that when Mummy and Daddy laid that Moral Compass in his crib, Gorgon threw it out and it was never found again.
I'm sure it is true that part of the animus to Martin derived from his obvious plainness of origin. Had there been no more to it than that, he would still be Speaker. The sad fact is that he was ruinously inadequate in his post, and a lousy ambassador for his class and constituency.
I am a working class catholic - father a gardener, mother a domestic servant (yeah, the bugger got the maid preggers) - but I can understand rules, and read without hestitating over the big words.
Martin was a simple thicko - the sort of witless, spineless deadwood that only gets noticed by running around behind the local bully - and in Springburn that's the Labour Party.
What a pity he has the last laugh - more bounteous living at our expense, this time in the Lords. There should be a campaign to make sure he draws no more from the public purse - chuck him down the Jobcentre with the rest of us - let's see if the useless lump of lard can persuade anyone in the real world to give him anything beyond a minimum wage.
I disagree Vronsky. If he had been good or even adequate at his job his dethroning would never have occurred. The nastiness about his background would never have come into it.
I too am working class but I can read reasonably well from a script.
Yes that's the undemocratic part of it Vronsky, the fact that he gets to keep all his self-made perks.
sr
You misunderstand - we're saying the same thing. If he had been competent his background wouldn't have mattered.
Sorry Vronsky, I see now. I've had a hectic day in the real world and my Mac brain wasn't plugged in :)
Mr. Mxyzptlk George Galloway epitomises the most pathetic kind of unionist inferiority complex. If Wesminster looks down on taigs and working class people with Scottish accents why the feck does he want to keep us tied to it forever?
Or does he consider it some kind of victory to get to walk down the same corridors as the English upper classes and sit on the same green benches?
Absolutely pathetic.
Incidentally I think the SNP will almost certainly win in Glasgow North East. The 'Catholic' vote is more of a myth than a reality. People like Foulkes and Galloway believe in it because they are living in the past.
The SNP has a first class local candidate who lives in the constituency and has been a very effective campaigner on the schools closures and in holding the GHA to account. As with John Mason I believe the voters will choose someone who has a sound grasp on local issues and the determination to do something about them.
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