Sir, Few witnessing the farcical scenes at Westminster will be in any doubt that the Speaker’s position had become untenable (“Last orders”, May 19). Michael Martin’s desperate attempts to cling on to power in the face of an overwhelmingly hostile House were excruciating.

Necessary as it may be, however, replacing one Speaker with another is neither the solution nor addresses the problem. If the Speaker had to go, so must every single MP who has cheated the taxpayer, for they too have lost the right to call themselves “honourable”. Time to call a general election.

Dr Christina Julios

London SE1

Sir, It is sad to reflect that this man, who grew up in humble circumstances in Glasgow, should be the one who championed the archaic practices and privileges of an out-of-touch ruling elite. A lesson from all of this should be that when the next Speaker is elected much of the outmoded privilege and ceremony associated with the job should be scrapped; then, perhaps, Parliament will begin to show that it recognises we all live in the 21st century and not the 18th.

Robert Sandall

London SW12

Sir, Do MPs really think that a new Speaker will deal with the public’s outrage at their actions? Out of touch? By a country mile.

Parliament should be dissolved but it is not keen enough on reform to go that far. Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic comes to mind.

The Rev Ian Hobbs

Weymouth, Dorset

Sir, While I am not a fan of Michael Martin I am sickened by the herd instinct of MPs who

raised their hypocritical snouts above the trough just long enough to find a scapegoat. Peter Brookes illustrated the situation exactly in his cartoon (May 19). This diversionary tactic will not fool voters in the coming elections.

Peter Lloyd

Eastbourne, E Sussex

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