London - Westminster's watchdog has accused the Speaker of the House of Commons of undermining her role. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Ms Elizabeth Filkin, wrote to Speaker Michael Martin last week to tell him she would not reapply for her job.
She complained that decisions taken by the House of Commons Commission, which he chairs, would "violate" the independence of her office. In her letter, Ms Filkin complained of a "quite remarkable" level of pressure put on her by some of the MPs whose behaviour she has investigated, including some holding high office.