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Speaker’s Position Has Got Worse As A Result Of His Statement

Majority of parliamentarians now say he should resign

Revelations about lack of warrant further blow to Serjeant-at-arms
and senior police

Andrew Rawnsley
PoliticsHome

The position of Michael Martin has deteriorated since he made his
statement to MPs about the police raid on the Commons. Having
revealed that the police were allowed into the Commons even though
they did not have a warrant, he should now resign as Speaker. That
is the powerful verdict of the PHI100, Britain’s most authoritative
survey of expert and inside political opinion.

It is especially significant that two thirds of the panel’s
parliamentarians, who are drawn from all the main parties, agree that
he should lose his job over the Damian Green Affair.

With the exception of a few Tory backbenchers, most MPs are reluctant
to make a public call for his resignation because of his special
position and the constitutional niceties. But the PHI100, which
allows MPs to express their real opinion, indicates that he has lost
the confidence of parliamentarians as a result of his handling of
this affair.

A massive eighty per cent of the PHI100, ranging across the political
spectrum, think the Speaker’s position has deteriorated since he
tried to explain himself to MPs yesterday afternoon. Just eight
per cent of the panel reckon his position was improved by his statement.

PHI100 Results: 4/12/08
Following Michael Martin's statement yesterday to the House of
Commons, has his position:

Improved 8%

Deteriorated 80%

No change 10%

The politicians on the panel are MPs and peers from all the main
parties, among them senior Ministers and Opposition frontbenchers.
All but two of them think the Speaker’s position has got worse.

The media panellists are political editors, leading commentators and
executives. Every one of them thinks that Michael Martin’s position
has deteriorated since his statement.

A clear majority of the panel (sixty three per cent) now say that he
should resign as Speaker. The parliamentarians on the PHI100 think
he should go by a margin of two to one.

Ghastly and gutless

One Lib Dem parliamentarian says: ‘His statement was ghastly and
gutless.
He was clearly asleep at the wheel. Dumping on his staff wasn't very
nice, and a simple apology from him would have been welcome. His only
merit has ever been his potential independence and championing of
backbench MPs' rights. Now he has failed MPs on this. He is an
embarrassment to Parliament and should go immediately.’

The leader of a left-leaning think tank believes: ‘Martin should be
forced out, to make the seriousness of his lapses clear. Don't give
him the luxury of resigning.’

A Tory MP contends that it is ‘hard to see how the Speaker can
maintain authority.’

Serjeant-at-Arms and police also under siege

The position of the Serjeant-at-Arms, revealed to have allowed the
police into the Commons even though they didn’t have a warrant, is
also worse now. A whopping eighty nine per cent of the panel believe
the position of Jill Pay has deteriorated. Only a tiny three per
cent think it has been improved.

PHI100 Results: 4/12/08
And has the position of the Serjeant at Arms:

Improved 3%

Deteriorated 90%

No change 7%

Fifty five per cent of the panel think she should now resign.

A Conservative MP on the panel comments: ‘Her staying only serves to
protect others. She clearly did the wrong thing, though she is not
to be blamed that neither she nor the current powers of her office
are fit for purpose, and that the job of Serjeant-at-Arms has been so
disastrously down graded.’

The leader of a left-leaning campaign organization says: ‘Martin and
Pay demonstrated an absence of any constitutional or legal instincts
by not asking for a warrant or taking legal advice. Senior police may
have to go later but at the moment they are shielded by their own
ongoing investigation.’

Other panelists agree that the senior police officers are currently
protected from resignation until inquiries are completed. But the
view of the PHI100 is that even more damage has been done to the
positions of SirPaul Stephenson, the Acting Commissioner of the
Metropolitan Police, and Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, the head
of the Special Operations unit who ordered the arrest of Mr Green and
the raid on his homes and offices. Both are candidates to succeed
Sir Ian Blair as head of the Met.

A crushing ninety five per cent of the panel think the position of
these senior officers has become worse. Just one per cent believe it
has improved.

PHI100 Results: 4/12/08
Since it was revealed that police did not have a warrant to enter the
Commons to search Damian Green's offices, have the positions of Sir
Paul Stephenson and Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick:

Improved 1%

Deteriorated 95%

No change 4%

PHI100 Results: 4/12/08
Should any of these individuals now resign?

Michael Martin 63%

Serjeant at Arms 54%

Sir Paul Stephenson 29%

Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick 37%

None of these 20%

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