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20/05/2009
Archbishop Defends Speaker, Attacking 'Selfishness' Of MPs
A senior Scottish clergyman has weighed in on the ongoing MPs' expenses row, lambasting parliamentarians for "hounding" the Speaker out of office.
Mario Conti, the Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow, said the pressure put on Michael Martin to resign was contrived to deflect attention off MPs themselves.
Mr Martin made an historic announcement yesterday, revealing he would leave office next month.
He is the first Commons Speaker to stand down in over 300 years.
Archbishop Conti said the "unseemly and undignified" attacks on Mr Martin, a Glasgow MP, reminded him of an "assembly of unruly pupils, seeking to humiliate their headmaster for misdemeanours they themselves had perpetrated".
Writing in the Herald, the Archbishop said: "The parliamentary culture of greed, selfishness and secrecy, which has been exposed by the press, is shameful."
"And this despite the fact that Mr Martin inherited the woefully inadequate system, and himself proposed changes which would have gone some way the cleaning up the culture, only for his fellow MPs to reject them," added the senior Roman Catholic figure.
(PR/JM)
Mario Conti, the Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow, said the pressure put on Michael Martin to resign was contrived to deflect attention off MPs themselves.
Mr Martin made an historic announcement yesterday, revealing he would leave office next month.
He is the first Commons Speaker to stand down in over 300 years.
Archbishop Conti said the "unseemly and undignified" attacks on Mr Martin, a Glasgow MP, reminded him of an "assembly of unruly pupils, seeking to humiliate their headmaster for misdemeanours they themselves had perpetrated".
Writing in the Herald, the Archbishop said: "The parliamentary culture of greed, selfishness and secrecy, which has been exposed by the press, is shameful."
"And this despite the fact that Mr Martin inherited the woefully inadequate system, and himself proposed changes which would have gone some way the cleaning up the culture, only for his fellow MPs to reject them," added the senior Roman Catholic figure.
(PR/JM)
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Embattled Commons Speaker Michael Martin this afternoon announced his intentions to stand down, amid the continued furore over MPs' expenses. The Speaker said he would leave office on the Sunday 21 June, which will be followed by an election for his replacement the next day. Mr Martin is the first speaker to resign from the role in over 300 years.
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Embattled Commons Speaker Michael Martin this afternoon announced his intentions to stand down, amid the continued furore over MPs' expenses. The Speaker said he would leave office on the Sunday 21 June, which will be followed by an election for his replacement the next day. Mr Martin is the first speaker to resign from the role in over 300 years.
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08 December 2008
MP Raid Debate Rumbles On
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As pressure mounts on Commons Speaker Michael Martin to resign, MPs are expected to further discuss the furore over the police raid of Tory Damian Green’s parliamentary offices.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
