Death of a Speaker
Ann Lyon |
Next Monday, 22 June, MPs will elect a new Speaker after Michael Martin became only the second holder of the office to be forced out by his fellow members, following his handling of the expenses furore. Journalists have reported with glee that as many as seven previous speakers were executed, but can any parallel be drawn between the downfall of Michael Martin and those of his predecessors?
Of the executed Speakers, none was Speaker at the time of his execution, still less executed for performing the functions of his office. Three ex-Speakers were executed in the reign of Henry VIII, the best-known being Sir Thomas More. He had been Speaker of the 1523 Parliament, but was not executed until 1535 after he was accused of denying the King was the legitimate head of the church.
But what of Sir John Trevor, the only other ousted Speaker? Trevor was in his second stint as Speaker (having been appointed by James II, removed by William III, then later re-appointed) when in March 1695 he was expelled for the last time, this time by his fellow MPs, after accepting a bribe of 1,000 guineas from the City of London to facilitate the passage of a Bill. Accepting a bribe to influence legislation has a distinctly contemporary flavour, given the recent 'cash for amendments' claims relating to members of the House of Lords, which are currently under investigation. But, unlike Sir John Trevor, Mr Martin has not been found guilty of corruption in the exercise of his powers (previous allegations of inflated expenses notwithstanding). Rather, Mr Martin has been found incompetent, or, to use a contemporary phrase, 'not fit for purpose', and resigned his office on recognising that his fellow members had lost all confidence in him.
The election of a new Speaker will take place on Monday, the day after Mr Martin's resignation takes effect. It remains to be seen who will in due course feign the traditional reluctance to accept the office and be ceremonially dragged to the Speaker's chair, and what changes he or she will set in train for the purpose of restoring public confidence in the House of Commons and its members. In 1695 when MPs were elected on the basis of a tiny franchise and corruption was rife, most obviously in relation to elections, public confidence in them was simply not an issue. Times have changed, but the quirks of our unwritten constitution can still pose potential problems today. Given the healthy majorities of recent governments, it has largely been forgotten that a sitting Speaker stands at any General Election as 'the Speaker seeking re-election'. Traditionally, the other major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat, though the Scottish National Party did not conform to this in 2001 or 2005. Were the Speaker to hold a marginal seat and the polls to be tight, this convention could be sorely tested.
Please note: Views expressed are those of the author.- Tags:
- Lyon, Ann
- Power and politics
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