Abysmal. Speaker - stand down now.

That was the only word which could describe the performance of the speaker, Michael Martin today. Facing up to the biggest challenge of his political life, he failed completely.

After misreading the public mood, standing up for vested interests and being late to the apologizing party he has shown himself to be out of touch not only with the public but also with the members of the House.

Some say that this class warfare, it is not. Betty Boothroyd did not come from a privileged background and was highly respected. Others say that he did not write the expense forms with the MPs, but he did preside of the Fees office that paid out the money. It is about his competance, which has found to be severely lacking. The fact that he had to ask the clerk about what makes a substantive motion and how one gets placed, shows that he does not know his own brief.

He's out of his depth. He should resign.

Squiffy.