Funeral of former House of Commons speaker Lord Martin to take place in Glasgow

THE funeral of former House of Commons speaker Lord Martin of Springburn is to take place on Wednesday.

The former Labour MP died on Sunday April 29 after a short illness at the age of 72.

A funeral mass for the “decent, public-spirited” politician is to take place at St Aloysius Church in the centre of Glasgow on Wednesday.

Senior figures from the party are expected to attend.

Following his death, tributes were paid by a number of former colleagues and senior figures at Westminster.

Ex-prime minister Gordon Brown said: “I knew him as a successful young trade union organiser, a dedicated member of Parliament, a conscientious Speaker of the House of Commons and latterly as a member of the House of Lords and no matter the position he occupied, he never forgot the debt he owed to his upbringing and the people he had been elected to serve.”

John Bercow, the current House of Commons Speaker, said: “Michael was a decent, public-spirited man who had a real care and concern for Members, their staff and the staff of the House.

“He was a good campaigner and both passionate about and proud of his roots. He also had a great sense of humour.”

Earlier this month a number of MPs, including Conservative MP Nadine Dorries and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom used a parliamentary debate to recount personal stories about Lord Martin.

Michael Martin was the son of a merchant seaman and a school cleaner, and previously worked as a sheet metal worker in his home city.

Known latterly as Lord Martin of Springburn after the Glasgow constituency he represented from 1979 to 2005, he was Speaker from 2000 to 2009.

When he was speaker, however, he was criticised for leading efforts to block the publication of MPs’ expenses, and for his handling of the affair once the disclosures began.

He was the first Commons speaker to be forced to resign in 300 years.