Commons Speaker's Aide Quits Over Taxi Row

Feb 24 2008 By Mark Aitken, Political Editor

THE official spokesman of Commons Speaker Michael Martin resigned yesterday after misleading journalists over his expenses.

Mike Granatt said he quit for "ethical reasons" after he had been given the wrong information about taxi bills run up by Martin's wife Mary.

He told a journalist probing £4280 fares run up by Mrs Martin she had been shopping for food for authorised functions and was accompanied by an official.

But it emerged yesterday only a housekeeper, who is a friend of Mrs Martin, had been on the trips with her and they had been shopping for food for informal dinners.

Granatt said the Martins had not tried to mislead the press but officials had not given him the right information.

But his resignation has fuelled the storm surrounding the Speaker's expenses and led to claims that officials deliberately misled the media.

Granatt said: "I wish to make it clear this arose through no fault ofMr Speaker.

"It is core to the ethical code by which I operate that I tell the truth, and that I am given the truth to tell.

"However, I learned on Friday that I had been led to mislead journalists over material facts in a story concerning the Speaker's household and the use of taxis."

But the revelation that Mrs Martin was only joined on taxpayer-funded taxi trips by her domestic help will lead to fresh scrutiny of her allowances.

Mr Martin was last week accused of using Air Miles, earned on official business, to buy London to Glasgow business class flights for his family.

And last night he faced questions over his use of the MPs' second homes allowance after it emerged he has no mortgage on his constituency house in Glasgow.

Reports claimed there are no charges on the property, even though he has claimed more than £75,000 from the Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) over the past six years.

Mr Martin's London home is his grace-and-favour apartment.

Anti-sleaze campaigner Martin Bell said: "If you live free in a grace-and-favour home, you should not need public help to run a second home.

"The Speaker should announce his retirement - the Commons is now in such disrepute we need a new Speaker who can help clean it up."