A DEFIANT Michael Martin was last night fighting for his position as Commons Speaker in the face of an extraordinary wave of anger over his handling of the MPs’ expenses scandal.
In unprecedented scenes in the Commons, a series of MPs rose to demand the chance to vote on a motion of no confidence in him, while some openly heckled.
Mr Martin offered an apology, saying he was sorry for the extent to which he had contributed to the problems, but there was no indication he was prepared to step down.
Instead, amid some procedural confusion, he said it was up to the Government to decide whether there would be a debate on the no confidence motion tabled by Tory backbencher, Douglas Carswell.
There was no sign last night that ministers were prepared to timetable a debate.
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