The speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, has been resigned. This is huge. Sacking the speaker is like setting fire to Princess Anne - you just don't do it. In fact if you even dream it, you better wake up and apologise, modda fokka.
There is a precedent for this dismissal however. In 1680, the then speaker, Eddie something, was shown the door. He'd been caught spuds deep in the King's favourite Labrador, and had to go. Even then, they tried to hush it up, but apparently the puppies looked just like him. It was only a matter of time before the papers got hold of it.
Everyone is jockeying for advantage in the race to fill Martin's position. Traditionally it would be a well thought of parliamentary "face". In these extraordinary times, though, tradition can go hang. It's thought that a raft of new, independent MPs might soon be appointed, and that the new speaker might come from their unsullied ranks. Even Esther Ranzen's thrown her sombrero in the ring.
She's only the first to declare an interest. Rumour is rife about who else the PM has approached to fill this important role. As we went to press, The Chuckle Brothers were the bookies' favourite. But the race is a long one, and the brothers are rather too Icarus like to last I think. My money's on either Michael Bentine or Wolf from Gladiator.
There is a precedent for this dismissal however. In 1680, the then speaker, Eddie something, was shown the door. He'd been caught spuds deep in the King's favourite Labrador, and had to go. Even then, they tried to hush it up, but apparently the puppies looked just like him. It was only a matter of time before the papers got hold of it.
Everyone is jockeying for advantage in the race to fill Martin's position. Traditionally it would be a well thought of parliamentary "face". In these extraordinary times, though, tradition can go hang. It's thought that a raft of new, independent MPs might soon be appointed, and that the new speaker might come from their unsullied ranks. Even Esther Ranzen's thrown her sombrero in the ring.
She's only the first to declare an interest. Rumour is rife about who else the PM has approached to fill this important role. As we went to press, The Chuckle Brothers were the bookies' favourite. But the race is a long one, and the brothers are rather too Icarus like to last I think. My money's on either Michael Bentine or Wolf from Gladiator.
No comments:
Post a Comment