The wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons became the first contestant to be voted off 'Celebrity Big Brother' – and immediately hit out at politicians who tried to stop her entering the show.

The Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin will make a statement to MPs tomorrow amid rapidly mounting calls for him to quit over his handling of the MPs’ expenses crisis.

“STARING into the abyss.” It seems a very apocalyptic description for a political leader facing difficulty, but it is the phrase used by one of Tony Blair’s closest lieutenants to describe the situation he faces.