Did you know Michael Martin was voted into his Springburn constituency in 1979?I wasn't even alive then but I did grow up next door to that constituency and it never struck me as the best place to go to spend my pocket money. I did play golf there once and was chased down the 18th by a group of angry neds. Thankfully Buckfast is an impediment to athleticism and I lived to tell the tale, it helped that we only had about 3 clubs each at our disposal too, lightening our load as we beat a hasty retreat.
Anyway, four wood wielding thugs is not Michael Martin's doing but I can't help a slight tinge of schadenfreude at the sight of a man clinging onto power, his fall from grace chiefly due to being seduced by the trappings of power very far removed from the red road flats of his constituency. A lot of people, myself included, will be thinking this has been a long time coming.
So will the frustrated and impatient MPs run The Speaker out of his position for the first time since Pitt the Younger was running around in shorts? I don't see it myself. Even if there were the same calls last year for the man to jump since he can't be pushed, the main reason Gordon Brown won't let him go is the by-election such an overdue eviction would throw up in Glasgow North East.
After 3 decades of power, Michael Martin has built up a majority of 10,134 (35.7%) over his nearest challengers (the SNP) but an even bigger majority of 13,507 (43.7%) was overturned in Glasgow East almost a year ago so this constituency would be well within the Nationalists' radar if it was to become vacant.
This is not to mention the fact that Labour would probably struggle to drum up a decent candidate at such short notice and also the Tories and Lib Dems did not stand against the Speaker in 2005 giving the SNP even more of a head start in a constituency where they have finished second since 1987.
A by-election would be a wonderful way to keep the political chattering classes chattering throughout the Summer but sadly it won't be happening. In allowing the Speaker to stay on with such reduced confidence in the man will add to the crushing weight of inertia at the heart of Westminster.
A General Election would be plan A, a clear out of the Speaker and the worst expenses offenders would be plan B but sadly we're too far down the pecking order to get anything other than Plan F, a Government and Parliament twisting in the breeze, lacking direction and thoroughly unable to lead.
13 comments:
Does Martin have to stand down as an MP if he stands down as the Speaker? Would he not be able to return to the backbenches?
If there was a general election in the offing Brown may elevate him to the Lords...but I suspect that they'll avoid a by-election at all costs.
An autumn general election...that would be fun!
Of course Jeff the SNP broke Westminster convention by standing against an incumbant speaker like Martin in 2005. As they were the only major other party standing the share of the vote may be distorted somewhat.
Polster 2000 might well be right - I also think the payoff is less if an MP resigns than it if if he retires or fights and loses. Michael Martin is such a grafter that, even if forced out as Speaker, I would not rule him out hanging around the backbanches asnd even fighting springburn in a UK general elecion as an "independent" - for "tax purposes"
A by election is one reason Brown is reluctant to see Micael Martin go early - but far from the main one. Springburn ( or Glasgow North) remember is not even technically a Labour seat to lose. Elliot Morley's and a incresing lsit of other seats are far amore problematic for Brown and labour
Martin is being propeped up by Brown, primarily becasue he is a buffer. Were Martin to resign - "do the decent thing" - who would then be the next in the firing line?
A Springburn by election should be a no brainer for the SNP in the current climate - unless Gordon and wee Dougoie can fix another election
I fear Marks and Sparks are going to run out of white suits for all the independent candidates taking on expenses besmirched incumbents.
monty
you post has given me another thought. Maybe Baron Foulkes could be Labour's new Westminster cabdidate for Springburn at the next GE. He could stand on Michael's finerecord, and he needs that third - or is it tenth? - salary
He could get the law chamged to allow him to sit simultaneously in the Lords - such genuius should know no bourdaries
One problem? - would the Martin familly let him?. I think some auntyhas been promissed first refusal.
But "The Red Baron of of Springburn" - unstoppable. A worthy heir to John McLean!
Stephen,
It's (arguably) not a Westminster convention but a "big three" convention... which apparently makes it okay. But yes, that distorts the vote somewhat.
Also, Jeff, I hear that Martin's son Paul (MSP for the area) would be the preferred candidate when the Speaker stands down... although there is some talk of Steven Purcell's ex-wife.
As Michael was voted in as Speaker (not as a Labour MP) then it would be bizarre if he went to the backbenches. All or nothing i would say. Stephen, let's be honest, that is one of Westminster's many bizarre conventions. Indeed, it was largely convention that got us into this mess. I would think the SNP would gain more than they would lose with other parties joining the fray. Either way, it's game on come the election in Glasgow North East!
"it would be bizarre if he went to the backbenches"
Don't you think everything about the mother of all parliaments is bizarre?
Ok, relative to the current bizarreness, this would be even bizarrer.
(With apologies to Miss Smith, my High School English teacher.)
If I recall Malc Plaid Cymru did stand against George Thomas in 79 so it is clearly a convention that the Nationalists do not adhere to.
Hardly a bizarre convention Jeff say one of the other two main parties were to stand against the speaker and defeated him it would delay the start of proceedings while they seek to elect a new one.
This is Michael Martion and Gordon Brown, so why are we talking about convention If convention were followedMartin would already be gone
I suspect right now deals are being struck, and if Micheal Martin is inclined to go, and Brown inclined to ditch him, i'd be near cerai that a condition will be no by-election ,that michael martin just sits on the backbenches until the glorious day
No big deal I think - he was elected as neither labour or speaker but as an individual. A little galling, but we've seen much worse - MPs turning 180 degree turtle, with years to go. If the price to gety rid oif him is to see paid a MPs salarly for aother 8 months or so for doing nothing than twice that for doing real damage to democracy, count me in
And by elections in general I am sure all the established parties will be keen to avoid, so Id guess DC and co would go along - and they are hardly going to sweep springburn!
I disagree Stephen, if I lived in Springburn I'd be pretty disappointed if there was only one person standing for election.
The democratic deficit is a heavy price to pay for having a Speaker in place on day 1. We don't have a Chancellor, Foreign Secretary or even a Prime Minister on Day 1 in some cases and the world keeps spinning.
I think we Brits respect some very bizarre conventions.
Stephen,
I don't think your point that Plaid stood against a former Speaker discounts my point that it is a "big three" tradition. It is just one that Nationalists don't think is merited - and as Jeff argues, how long would it take to get a Speaker in place? The Scottish Parliament managed it in 1999 fairly quickly...
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