Michael Martin

Labour MP Glasgow Springburn (Speaker)

Date of birth

3 July 1945

Political profile

Michael Martin was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons, in a long and convoluted procedure, in October 2000.

Following his election, he has been the subject of much criticism from the press and from some MPs, claiming that he does not have a firm control of debates and that he favours Labour MPs.

Nonetheless, he was re-elected unopposed following the 2001 election.

He caused controversy in October 2001 when, speaking from the chair, he welcomed David Blunkett's announcement of the end of the voucher support system for asylum seekers.

He apologised the next day for appearing to depart from the strict tradition of the Speaker's impartiality.

Prior to his election, he was a deputy Speaker and had been a Labour MP since 1979.

Initially, he was a sheet metal worker, before becoming a full time union official.

He was on the right of the party and, as a Catholic teetotaller, took a socially conservative view on subjects such as homosexuality and abortion.

His son, Paul, is the Labour MSP for the same constituency.

Contact

Commons office: 020 7219 4111