LONDON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Michael Martin, speaker of
Britain's House of Commons, announced on Tuesday he will step down on June 21
amid the public's rising anger at the expenses scandal involving members of the
Parliament (MPs).
He made the announcement on
Tuesday afternoon at the House of Commons "in order that unity can be
maintained" in the Commons.
A video grab image shows Britain's
Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, speaking to the House of
Commons in London, May 18, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Meanwhile, a new speaker will be elected on June 22.
It is the first time in 300 years a speaker has been
effectively forced out.
Martin has been attacked for trying to keep MPs'
expenses claims secret even after they were revealed by media reports. A motion
of no confidence in him has been backed by 23 MPs.
As cries for him to stand down reached a peak on
Monday, Martin finally told the MPs that he was "profoundly sorry" for his part
in events.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had said
it was a matter for the House of Commons to decide, not the government.
Martin is the MP for Glasgow North East and speaker
since 2000.He is due to meet party leaders later to discuss interim reform
proposals for MPs' expenses.
Martin is yet another casualty of the week-long
expenses scandal.
A Labor MP was suspended last Saturday from the
parliamentary party pending a probe into his expenses claims.
David Chaytor has admitted to claiming 13,000 pounds
(one pound now equals to about 1.54 U.S. dollars) in interest payments for a
mortgage that had already been repaid.
Last Friday British Justice Minister Shahid Malik
stepped down over an inquiry into his expense claims.
One day earlier, Andrew MacKay, a Conservative member
of parliament quit as parliamentary aide to party leader David Cameron. He
resigned over what Cameron said was an "unacceptable" expenses claim.
Politicians and members of parliament in Britain have
been engrossed in the highly-publicised expenses claims over the past week,
which have surprised the public with great disappointment and cost the
government public trust that all MPs need to work hard to regain.
While the police will not investigate into the leak
of the MPs' expenses claims, Brown had made it clear that Labor members of
Parliament or candidates will not be able to stand for the next elections if
they defied in the rules.
MPs have been urged to pay back the unreasonable
expenses imposed on the taxpayers and party leaders are expected to meet and
discuss reform of MPs' reforms later on Tuesday.
LONDON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- In a deepening scandal that has
incensed the public, Britain's governing Labour Party has suspended a second
member of Parliament for claiming reimbursement on payments for a mortgage that
had already been retired, officials said Saturday.
David Chaytor admitted to The Daily Telegraph that he
claimed 13,000 pounds (about 20,000 U.S. dollars) in interest payments for a
mortgage loan that had already been paid off. Full story
LONDON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Justice Minister Shahid Malik
stepped down Friday pending an investigation of allegations that he paid
below-market rent for a house, according to media reports.
Malik stepped down after The Daily Telegraph revealed that
he claimed tens of thousands of pounds from public funds for a second home while
paying below-market rent for his main house. Full story
LONDON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Shahid Malik, one of Labour's
rising stars, who has reportedly run up the highest expenses claim of any MP
said that he could "sleep easy at night".
The Justice Minister embroiled in the parliamentary
expenses scandal has described the claims against him as "a non-story" and
insisted he can "sleep easy at night", a Sky News report said on Friday morning.
Full story
LONDON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The expenses of British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown and his Cabinet ministers are facing questions after full
details of their claims were published by the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
A claim for 6,500 pounds (9,750 U.S. dollars) made by
Brown to pay his brother for a cleaner for his Westminster flat caused such a
stir that Downing Street had to release a copy of the cleaning contract. Full story
