Order, order

The Spectator on why the Speaker is further besmirching the reputation of Parliament 

The Speakership of the House of Commons has been aptly described as ‘the linchpin of the whole chariot’. This is why the lamentable conduct of Michael Martin, who has occupied the Speaker’s Chair since 2000, is more than just another parliamentary ‘sleaze’ story. By his sheer stubbornness, Mr Martin is behaving with epic selfishness and is besmirching the already sullied institution whose probity he, more than anyone else, is expected to protect. The wheels of the chariot are at risk of spinning off.

This week the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, John Lyon, ruled that there would not be an inquiry into the Speaker’s transfer of air miles to members of his family. This leaves unresolved the question of £4,000 of taxi expenses claimed by Mr Martin’s wife, Mary — a controversy which has led to the resignation of his spokesman, Mike Grannatt, formerly a public servant of distinction, who felt that he had been kept in the dark about the detail of the taxi journeys.