The Right Honourable Michael John Martin (born July 3, 1945, Glasgow) is the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom.
Martin was a sheet-metal worker who came into politics by way of the trade union movement. He was a Labour MP for Glasgow Springburn from the 1979 general election, and was associated with the right-wing of the party. He was a supporter of Denis Healey and Roy Hattersley.
He was elected Speaker in 2000, succeeding Betty Boothroyd. He had previously been deputy speaker. He is the first Roman Catholic to hold the office since the Reformation. He has been an active Speaker, trying to raise the tone of debate in the Commons; he has on occasion, during Prime Minister's Question Time, stopped the Prime Minister from criticising the policies of the opposition.
Martin's Glasgow accent led to his being nicknamed 'Gorbals Mick', although the nickname is in fact inaccurate, as Martin is from the Anderston and Springburn areas of Glasgow and has never lived in the Gorbals.
In the 2005 general election, he stood in the new constituency of Glasgow North East. By convention, the UK-wide parties (Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) do not stand candidates against a Speaker who is seeking re-election, although other parties, including the Scottish National Party, have continued to do so.
External links
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Michael Martin MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Michael Martin MP
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