Another gimmick

Although James Forsyth in Coffee House had a point on Friday when he  asked What on earth were the Tories thinking?, the comments on Michael White’s post Not Smart in the Guardian’s Politics Blog are instructive (those on Forsyth’s post somewhat more predictable). For example, and from Not Smart:

“On some levels, he has a point. How are these children going to be selected? Is it just going to be the top students who go, or will it be a lottery. I think it should be open to all ages (and classes) and not just sixth-formers. And what about genocide happening today in Darfur? Wouldn’t the money be better spent on providing aid to victims suffering now?”

or

He’s right though. Teach children properly about what happened rather than sending a couple on a tourist trip. But effective teaching doesn’t get so many headlines.

And 48 hours on, there are new headlines and new stories.

So farewell, Gorbals Mick?

The convention may be that MPs do not openly criticise Mr Speaker, but time is surely running out for Michael Martin? Although he would like us to think that the criticism he is presently enjoying is simply the result of good old fashioned snobbery, the truth is not quite so clear. Nick Robinson has an excellent post, Theories on the Speaker, which looks at why Martin has suddenly got so many friends at Westminster: and why some want him to go. Certainly he has done himself no favours, but having the Gordon Brown encomium,

When asked about Mr Martin’s predicament, Mr Brown said: “It’s a matter for the House of Commons. Mr Martin has been a very, very good Speaker”

is probably the kiss of death.