Angry MPs turn on Commons Speaker 愤怒的MPs矛头指向下院发言人
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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

The Speaker of the House of Commons has been challenged by MPs to stand down in unprecedented1 scenes in the chamber2.

英国下议院发言人在议会中遭到MPs空前的辞退挑战。

Michael Martin did not mention his future in a statement on the expenses furore(轰动) - instead he set out proposed action to reform the system.

He said he was "profoundly sorry" for his role and said all MPs must accept blame for the "terrible damage" done.

But a succession of MPs challenged him openly, saying they wanted a debate and a vote of no confidence in him.

It follows a week of damaging media revelations(启示录) about MPs' expenses and criticism of the way Mr Martin has handled the row.

Claims stopped

In a statement to a packed Commons on Monday, Mr Martin apologised for the expenses scandal and outlined steps he would be taking ahead of the findings of an independent inquiry3 into the allowances system, expected in the autumn.

This included asking party leaders to meet him and members of the House of Commons Commission within 48 hours to look at what proposals for reform for second homes expenses could be agreed upon and put to MPs for approval.

In the meantime the Glasgow North East MP urged members not to submit expenses claims for approval.

"We all bear a heavy responsibility for the terrible damage to the reputation of this House. We must do everything we possibly can to regain4 the trust and confidence of the people," he said.

Labour's Gordon Prentice was the first to stand up to ask about the no confidence motion(示意,移动), only to be told it was not a "point of order" - to shouts of "oh yes it is".

Douglas Carswell, the Conservative backbencher who is putting forward the motion, got up to ask when it would be debated and when MPs would be able to choose a new Speaker with "moral authority to clean up Westminster and the legitimacy5 to lead this House out of the mire(泥沼,泥泞)".

Norway debate

But he was told it was not a "substantive6 motion(实质性动议), it's an early day motion", which led to MPs shouting and Mr Martin having to seek clarification from a clerk.

Veteran Labour MP David Winnick asked him "with some reluctance7" to give "some indication" as to when he would retire, saying "your early retirement8 sir, would help the reputation of the House".

Mr Martin replied that was "not a subject for today".

Veteran Conservative MP Sir Patrick Cormack likened the mood in the Commons to the mood in the nation for the Norway debate in 1940 - said to be the moment Conservative MPs realised that Neville Chamberlain had to be replaced as prime minister.

And another Conservative MP, Richard Shepherd, said the public would not believe MPs were serious about reform as long as Mr Martin remained as Speaker.

Senior Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell was one of the few to stick up for Mr Martin, saying there had "never been in the history of our land such an attack on the Speaker".

He added: "This House should calm itself down, should have a period of reflection."

The former Tory, now independent, MP Bob Spink also spoke9 in favour of the Speaker, saying he did not want to see him "become a scapegoat10(背黑锅) for the action of these members".

Senior Lib Dem MP David Heath said the statement would have been welcomed a few weeks ago but he now had "very grave doubts" as to whether they would restore trust.

'Political death warrant'

Others sought advice on how a debate on the Speaker's future could be tabled.

Former shadow home secretary David Davis asked: "Is it within the power of a backbencher to put down a substantive motion and if so, how?"

There were shouts when Mr Martin said that was a matter for the government.

Mr Martin also had to tell the Conservative MP Mark Field to watch his words when he suggested that some MPs had made fraudulent(欺诈的,不正的) expenses claims.

Later Liberal Democrat11 MP Norman Baker12, who was attacked by the Speaker last week for giving interviews about greater transparency on MPs' expenses, said Mr Martin "blew it".

"The effect of the statement is for the Speaker to have signed his own political death warrant... I give him less than a week," he told BBC News.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said that while Mr Martin's statement may have bought him some breathing space, his fate still hung in the balance.

And, at a later meeting of Labour MPs, Mr Robinson said former Cabinet minister Peter Hain urged the prime minister not to try to prevent a debate on the Speaker's future.

The Speaker's critics blame him for various attempts to block requests in recent years to have expenses details released under Freedom of Information laws.

And he angered many by attacking MPs who had pressed for more transparency or criticised his decision to ask the police to investigate the leaking of expenses details to the Daily Telegraph.

Under parliamentary rules, the Speaker can either ignore the motion or ask for it to be debated in government time.



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 unprecedented 7gSyJ     
adj.无前例的,新奇的
参考例句:
  • The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
  • A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。
2 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
3 inquiry nbgzF     
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
参考例句:
  • Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
  • The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
4 regain YkYzPd     
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复
参考例句:
  • He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
  • The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。
5 legitimacy q9tzJ     
n.合法,正当
参考例句:
  • The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
  • Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。
6 substantive qszws     
adj.表示实在的;本质的、实质性的;独立的;n.实词,实名词;独立存在的实体
参考例句:
  • They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
  • A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议,但也需要感情上的支持。
7 reluctance 8VRx8     
n.厌恶,讨厌,勉强,不情愿
参考例句:
  • The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
  • He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。
8 retirement TWoxH     
n.退休,退职
参考例句:
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
9 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
10 scapegoat 2DpyL     
n.替罪的羔羊,替人顶罪者;v.使…成为替罪羊
参考例句:
  • He has been made a scapegoat for the company's failures.他成了公司倒闭的替罪羊。
  • They ask me to join the party so that I'll be their scapegoat when trouble comes.他们想叫我入伙,出了乱子,好让我替他们垫背。
11 democrat Xmkzf     
n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员
参考例句:
  • The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
  • About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后,他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。
12 baker wyTz62     
n.面包师
参考例句:
  • The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
  • The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。
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