Why Mr Martin Won't Resign Now

Michael Martin will lose his 'golden goodbye' if he quits according to the Daily Mail.  Cabinet ministers yesterday told Gordon Brown to call on Mr Martin to stand down as a poll found that 8 out of 10 MPs want the Speaker to go.  MPs of all parties are talking about uniting around former LibDem Sir Menzies Campbell as a replacement - providing his expenses claims are beyond reproach.  Well that idea has been blown out of the water.

By leaving now Mr Martin would lose out on a generous resettlement payment for members who lose their seats or retire at an election.  He could expect a windfall of £100,000 or more if he hangs on.  Generous? Obscene is a more appropriate word.  All these types of perks have to stop. MPs pensions are more than handsome.  MPs made these rules remember and we had no say.

For his first 3 years as Speaker, Michael Martin paid his wife an estimated £20,000 a year for secretarial duties in his constituency while she was sharing his official residence in London.

So there we have it, Michael Martin will hang on and Menzies Campbell will struggle to talk himself out of his excessive expenses, possibly by saying he's broken no rules, because I'm sure he'd just love the Speaker's job.

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THE RANTERS of FIFE

What do these two men have in common other than being MPs with constituencies in Fife? By all accounts they are friends if you believe the political journalists, both been very ambitious in their respective political careers and both have had a go at leading their parties.  If I was feeling unkind I could say neither has proven themselves to be of leadership quality but at least Menzies Campbell had the grace to stand down once he recognised it. The other has also proven he doesn't have the ability to lead a successful party but he refuses to acknowledge it and the UK is now forced to wait until a general election to write it, in big bold letters, on the wall for him.

Aside from these common traits there was one which was noticeable in the past week.  Both spoke at their party conferences, Gordon Brown last weekend in Dundee and Menzies Campbell in Perth this weekend.  Gordon Brown's speech consisted mainly of SNP bashing (well documented by scottishpolitics.blogspot) with Menzies Campbell continuing the theme but lost credibility when he called Alex Salmond 'a novice'.  Oh dear Menzies, that does smack of desperation.  Vince Cable couldn't resist having a go too and attacked the proposed referendum which he thinks should be postponed indefinitely.  His reason is that the country is in such a total mess the First Minister should be concentrating on helping the UK recover and not be 'grabbing photo ops in the USA'.

It does appear both the labour and libdem conferences had nothing positive to offer so they concentrated on the Scottish government. These men didn't make speeches to their conference delegates, they ranted and people usually rant when they're angry or feart (frightened). They've every right to be worried as the SNP are governing well, increasing their lead in the polls and the union is crumbling as fast as Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling throw money at corrupt bankers.  

I do have a little sympathy with Gordon though, after his boast about Dundee being a labour stronghold for 45 years, less than a week later that was overturned by the splendid result of Dundee Maryfield ward falling to the SNP.  Auch Gordon, maybe one day you'll get just one thing right.

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