Martin ‘will damage reputation of the Lords’
By Liz Stephens
The independent appointments commission has written to Gordon Brown warning him that elevating Michael Martin to the House of Lords could “diminish” the upper house.
In a move unprecedented in modern times, the commission wrote to the prime minister to warn that the conduct of the former speaker of the Commons, which led to him becoming the first speaker to be forced out for over 300 years, could damage the Lords’ reputation.
It was announced that the Queen had agreed to elevate Martin to the peerage on Monday.
By convention, Speakers are appointed on their retirement from the Commons and sit on the non-partisan crossbenches of the Lords.
The appointments commission, chaired by the former Foreign Office permanent secretary, Lord Jay, was established in 2000, the year Betty Boothroyd was appointed to the Lords with no questions asked.
The commission has the power to advise but not to veto. It does, however, have a duty to warn the prime minister of the impact of any “public controversy”.
The House of Lords has already faced damage to its reputation this year as two Labour peers were suspended after being exposed offering to try to change the law in return for money.
The Lords voted to suspend Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn for six months, the first such action since the 17th century.
Michael Martin was the biggest casualty of the expenses scandal after he lost the confidence of the Commons. He had previously been criticised for his handling of the Damian Green affair.
The news of the commission’s advice comes as the government seeks to rush through legislation to establish an independent body to oversee MPs’ expenses.
