Christopher Hatch

Another day of BBC News being camped out in front of the Commons.  Another day of the studio based presenters passing time by playing UNO after the bleeding obvious happened after yesterdays weak performance from the Speaker in the Commons.

The was no way he could have continued and his departuature should surprise no-one. The news have of course has been obsessed with this historic day and the word unprecedented has been thrown around a lot.

It has, for a couple of days at least, given the Telegraph something other than expenses to put on the front page, I expect they still have a few more to print, just to keep the fire burning.

In other related news Douglas Hogg will be raising his drawbridge after the next election and the people of Sleaford and North Hykeham will have to look for a new MP, presumably one without a moat.

Now, the news is obsesed with who will be the next speaker, might be worth a check to check out the odds on the next Speaker. (Left – the Bookies Favourite, Sir George young)

It occurred to me as I watched the events in the commons that it was all over for the current Speaker, Michael Martin.  I’m just not sure he realised it.

I don’t see how you can lead and manage the Commons, when it became quite obvious, the Commons had lost all respect in him.  I’m not going to dwell in this short little post about the whole expenses scandal, just this one aspect.

It was fascenating to watch.  I had to refer to Wikipedia at one point after the reference to the Norway Debate but I guess by the chatter after the statement and the audible gasps that it had been a cutting remark from a usually quiet Member of Parliament.

Equally interesting was of course the medias coverage. I watched on BBC News and as is often the way, they were already scenting blood and had been building up all morning to, what they clearly hoped would be, the onslaught.  The pre-match entertainment was the Conservative leader starting his campaign for Europe, but with a request for Parliament to be dissolved immediately to liven things up.

Afterwards MP after MP was dragged infront of the camera to say “the Speaker has lost touch” or “the Speaker should go” and those lone voices who suggested perhaps he wasn’t to blame were riduclaed by the BBC reporter.

Made me wonder who was driving the agenda.  Parliament or the Media.

The answer I decided was the Media.