Commons Speaker was 'leant on' to fight expenses case

The British House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin was leant on by “very senior political sources” to fight efforts to make MPs’ expenses more transparent, it was claimed today.

Labour MP Stuart Bell, a member of the ruling House of Commons Commission, said the Speaker, was put under “severe pressure” to launch a doomed High Court challenge against Freedom of Information requests to release details of MPs’ allowance claims.