The blotchy face and even blotchier activities of The Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin have managed to bring that position into unparalleled disrepute ever since the the Bliar broke with predeent by plonking him in the job.
In the last few years he has managed to go on 17 overseas jollies costing at our espensejountsEach of the visits was approved by a cross-party Commons committee – whose chairman is Mr Martin.
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that Mrs Martin has accompanied her husband on all but one of his 17 overseas visits since September 2002. Her travel bill alone for just 10 of the trips was £25,000.
Mrs Martin has no formal official role as the wife of the Speaker, yet the couple averaged an overseas trip once every four months to some of the most sought-after destinations in the world.
They include a 15-day visit to Hawaii and New Zealand in July/August 2004 and a two-day trip to the Bahamas in January 2007.
It is the latest in a string of controversies involving the Speaker and his wife over the use of taxpayers’ cash.
Last year Mrs Martin was at the centre of a row over £4,000-worth of expenses for taxis to buy food for functions.
Mr Martin, the MP for Glasgow North East, has spent £1.7million of public money refurbishing his grace-and-favour apartment, and in his role as Speaker, he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to keep MPs’ expenses secret last year.
Michael Martin, the House of Commons Speaker, was at the centre of a fresh controversy last night after it emerged his wife had spent £50,000 of public money on air travel.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show Mary Martin has run up a £25,000 bill on foreign travel, on top of spending £24,000 flying to and from the couple’s Glasgow home.
Last Updated: 9:53AM GMT 01 Mar 2009
Derek Simpson, 64, the joint leader of Unite, has spent several nights at the five-star Waldorf Hilton hotel in London – 600 yards from his office.
Mr Simpson recently spent four nights in one of the hotel’s King Hilton suites, according to the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
The union has admitted that Mr Simpson, a close political ally of the Prime Minister, used the hotel.
It told the Mail on Sunday that its performance would be undermined if “the union prioritised cheapness of accommodation above appropriate facilities and location”.
It comes at a critical time for Mr Simpson. Members of Unite will vote next week on whether he should win re-election as leader of the Amicus half of the union.
Mr Simpson has been heavily critical of “fat-cat” bankers, such as Sir Fred Goodwin, the former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive.
In a statement Unite told the Mail on Sunday: “Mr Simpson did stay at the Waldorf Hilton hotel on the nights mentioned as this was operationally appropriate for his commitments at the time.
“He is the joint leader of a multi-million-pound organisation, in which capacity he represents our members in dealings with employers of all sizes, including leaders of global companies as well as government.
“It would be undermining to his ability to deliver for those members if the union prioritised cheapness of accommodation above appropriate facilities and location as necessary for the particular event.”
