Motion of no confidence in Speaker Michael Martin

The following no confidence motion in Speaker Michael Martin has now been tabled, supported initially by 15 MPs from all three major parties. More names are expected to declare, as MPs return from listening to their angry constituents over the weekend.

It will appear in the Order Paper as a Substantive Motion on Future Business of the House (Remaining Orders).

The Table Office advise me that i t is now up to the Speaker to make a decision. 

There is no precedent for such a motion in Erskine May. However, I am advised that given that this is the first direct challenge to the authority of a sitting Speaker in over 300 years, it is not unreasonable to assume that he now request the government find time for a debate on it.   

Has your MP signed the motion? If not, why not call the House of Commons on 020 7219 3000 and urge your local MP to back the campaign to clean up Westminster.

No confidence in the Speaker

"That this House has no confidence in Mr Speaker and calls for him to step down; notes that Mr Speaker has failed to provide leadership in matters relating to hon. Members' expenses; believes that a new Speaker urgently needs to be elected by secret ballot, free from manipulation by party Whips, under Standing Order No. 1B; and believes that a new Speaker should proceed to reform the House in such a way as to make it an effective legislature once again."

Douglas Carswell

Kate Hoey

Norman Lamb

Richard Bacon

David Davis

Philip Hollobone

Paul Flynn

Gordon Prentice

Richard Shepherd

Philip Davies

John Hemming

Jo Swinson

Norman Baker

Lynne Featherstone

Stephen Williams

Posted on 18 May 2009 by Douglas Carswell

Comments

In the long term the secret ballot & mandate for reform may be more important than Mr Martin's fate.

Posted on 18 May 2009 10:48 by Neil Craig

Korolenko (1890) :"We've fallen upon bad times. Something alien and deforming has come among us.... a new breed of career socialists is arising."

Does anything ever change?

Posted on 18 May 2009 11:37 by Karl Marx

Well done to the 15 MPs who have so far signed, particular thanks go to my local MP Philip Davies.

Posted on 18 May 2009 12:33 by Dan

I wrote to my MP (tory) and recieved the reply that it is the oppositions official position to support the office of the speaker.This reply came before Camerons announcement.It inspired me with the confidence that the conservative party are serious about delivering change to the UK.True grit.

Posted on 18 May 2009 14:45 by insert-coin-here

That's 15 MPs who deserve to keep their seats at the next election. the jury is still out on the rest...

Posted on 18 May 2009 15:19 by Elliot Kane

Douglas, you said:
It will appear in the Order Paper as a Substantive Motion on Future Business of the House (Remaining Orders).

The Speaker said that it was NOT a substantive motion but an EDM. Even then he had to take advice.

Who is right? I am appalled at this afternoon's performance.

PS my MP declined to offer his support when I asked him last week.

Posted on 18 May 2009 15:56 by Caro in High Wycombe

I haven't commented on your blog before, Mr Carswell, but I'm an activist in Manchester who's been following this situation closely and I just wanted to congratulate your performance in the House and then on BBC News a few moments ago. The Speaker's statement today was indeed utterly inadequate - it came across as such live on television - and I do hope what you said about Members signing your motion and forcing a debate will be proved true.

All the very best.

Posted on 18 May 2009 16:00 by David Bean

The man is a joke.

His statement today highlights even further that he is part of the problem. He has to go.

Posted on 18 May 2009 16:05 by Jonathan Cook

R.I.P.

18th May, 2009

The day that parliamentary democracy died. The Mother of Parliaments passed away after 800 years at 15.30 this afternoon.

God rest her soul

Posted on 18 May 2009 16:06 by Paul

That was a truly terrible performance by the Speaker. To say that he shoved his head in the sand is an understatement. Dreadful.

he has made his position far far worse. Toast

Posted on 18 May 2009 16:21 by Unixman

We have just watched live coverage of this afternoon's events with incredulity. That one man should put his personal interest before that of Parliament and its members and staff is totally unaccepatble.
Our belief is that Speaker Martin is sufficientlt 'streetwise' to know the game is up and he is, in fact, embarking now on maximisation of his termination reward. We see this time and again with company executives so let's not confuse his motives.
He wants that £100,000 and probably a guaranteed seat in the House of Lords.
Our belief is that the PM knows this full well and will find a way of giving him this with the Speaker gone by this weekend.
Naturally Mr Brown will seek credit for fixing it - but at a disgraceful cost!

Whatever happens good MPs and the public will have proved that they AS MAD AS HELL AND JUST WON'T TAKE IT ANYMORE'!!

Posted on 18 May 2009 16:47 by THE ESSEX BOYS

Well done sir!

Posted on 18 May 2009 16:55 by Francis

According to the BBC News website the speaker has said sorry but it has also reported that when asked about his future his reply was "not a matter for today " isnt this yet another example of those on the gravy train at Westminster simply not getting it
I am still angry i want people who have abused the system to be sacked and i want reform if it dosnt happen the obvious first casualty will the Major parties result at the Europeon and County County Council elections

Posted on 18 May 2009 17:04 by Ian Cresswell

Good on you Dougy. I watched with utter anger as 2 Labour MPs came on the BBC after the statement in the Commons and tried to state that Martin was being made a scapegoat. What planet are these people living on? The public demands action now! Time to go Gorbals Mick!

Posted on 18 May 2009 17:42 by Ben

I hope that more MPs sign to support the motion of no confidence in the Speaker.His performance in the House this afternoon was lacklustre showed he has not grasped the urgency of the matter & the anger of the vast majority of the public.

Posted on 18 May 2009 17:47 by Christine Jefferson.

For heaven's sake, the Speaker hadn't even seen fit to seek advice from his clerks before his statement. He never ceases to amaze me by his incompetence. He needs to go.

I've emailed my MP twice now (Horam) and have not received a reply. I shall be telephoning him tomorrow!

Posted on 18 May 2009 19:01 by http://faustiesblog.blogspot.com/

Well Done Douglas.Proud to have you as my M.P.

Posted on 18 May 2009 19:29 by Lin Jervis

I wish to express my support for your efforts to oust Mr Martin as Speaker. I believe that this move is necessary in order for the much needed reforms of parliament to take place. As one of your constituents I appreciate your efforts and hope that you will maintain this effort level in your representation of the Harwich area for the remainder of this parliament.

Posted on 18 May 2009 19:35 by Del

Well done Douglas I've already e mailed my MP. Thank goodness we still have some HONOURABLE members!!

Posted on 18 May 2009 19:54 by Jo Public

Well done.I asked my MP, Roberta Blackman Woods, to sign. she has said that as a deputy minister she is unable to but would tell the chief whip that she also believes the speaker must go. I don't know if that stacks up,but if it does, the man should surely do the decent thing.

Posted on 18 May 2009 20:31 by J.M.

I have also emailed my MP, Malcolm Moss, and suggested I thought he should sign. He's a good guy, so I hope he will.

Posted on 18 May 2009 20:56 by Steve Tierney

The problem with the Speaker and all the other MP's charged with making false claims, is that they don't understand that they are in a no win situation. If they sincerely believed that what they have done was right, ethical and moral, then you have to question their judgment (and therefore their judgment in matters of state.) If they believed it was not moral or ethical, but they went ahead anyway because it was in the Rules, then you have to question their integrity. The murder of six million Jews was 'within the Rules' of Hitler's Germany, as were the rules on apartheid in South Africa - does neither the SPeaker nor the MP's understand that THIS DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT! The Speaker must go as a first move in getting rid of the all the people in parliament who have demonstrably lost any integrity they may once have had.

Posted on 18 May 2009 23:58 by M Thomas

Disgrace on you sir .

Posted on 19 May 2009 14:47 by Gin B

Douglas Carswell for Speaker. You got rid the current one on a platform for Change, so who better than you to deliver it.

Posted on 19 May 2009 15:37 by Philip Grimason

Congratulations on taking a stand against a speaker who was clearly not up to the job. Monday's ridiculous events showed this clearly, but it was also evident that the Commons needs drastic reform the processes looked antiquated. Reform is needed to make it more business like.

Posted on 20 May 2009 09:46 by Chris

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