Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice, is calling for the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, to resign.

The MP is backing a motion to be tabled next week by Harwich MP, Douglas Carswell, which states that the House has no confidence in the Speaker and that "a new Speaker should reform the House in such a way as to make it an effective legislature once again".

Speaking from Westminster, Prentice said: "The Speaker chairs the House of Commons Commission and is at the apex of our constitutional system. It is a position which carries great authority and prestige and the Speaker must be scrupulously fair and non partisan."

"The Speaker routinely gives rulings without giving reasons. He, alone, interprets our Standing Orders and selects for debate amendments to Bills. He is therefore vested with huge powers."

"Given everything that has happened, I do not believe we can chart a new course with Speaker Martin still at the helm."

Note to Editors: The Pendle MP organised hustings for candidates for Speaker in October 2000 following the decision of Betty Boothroyd to stand down.

The MP has tabled Early Day motions on the Office of Speaker. EDM 1247 in April 2009 on term limits:

And another in December 2008 on retirement in mid Parliament:

That this House hopes a convention will be established which sees the election of the Speaker taking place towards the end of a Parliament when hon. Members are well placed to assess the merits of the candidates and not as the first item of business of a newly-elected Parliament.

Election of a new Speaker would be by secret ballot. If a candidate gets more than 50% in the ballot he or she is elected. If no-one receives over 50%, the bottom candidate drops out and then there are successive ballots until one candidate gets over 50%. He or she is then declared elected.

In his 1964 book, The Office of the Speaker, Philip Laundy wrote that "The conduct of the Speaker may be called in question only a substantive motion moved for that specific purpose". He subsequently noted that "In the past 150 years a motion of censure against the Speaker has been moved very rarely and on no occasion has it been carried".