国际英语新闻：Britain's parliament speaker resigns over lawmakers' expenses scandal

LONDON, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Michael Martin, speaker of Britain's House of Commons, announced on Tuesday he will step down on June 21 amid the public's rising anger at the expenses scandal involving members of the Parliament (MPs).

    He made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon at the House of Commons "in order that unity can be maintained" in the Commons.

    Meanwhile, a new speaker will be elected on June 22.

    It is the first time in 300 years a speaker has been effectively forced out.

    Martin has been attacked for trying to keep MPs' expenses claims secret even after they were revealed by media reports. A motion of no confidence in him has been backed by 23 MPs.

    As cries for him to stand down reached a peak on Monday, Martin finally told the MPs that he was "profoundly sorry" for his part in events.

    Earlier, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had said it was a matter for the House of Commons to decide, not the government.

    Martin is the MP for Glasgow North East and speaker since 2000.He is due to meet party leaders later to discuss interim reform proposals for MPs' expenses.

    Martin is yet another casualty of the week-long expenses scandal.

    A Labor MP was suspended last Saturday from the parliamentary party pending a probe into his expenses claims.

    David Chaytor has admitted to claiming 13,000 pounds (one pound now equals to about 1.54 U.S. dollars) in interest payments for a mortgage that had already been repaid.

    Last Friday British Justice Minister Shahid Malik stepped down over an inquiry into his expense claims.

    One day earlier, Andrew MacKay, a Conservative member of parliament quit as parliamentary aide to party leader David Cameron. He resigned over what Cameron said was an "unacceptable" expenses claim.

    Politicians and members of parliament in Britain have been engrossed in the highly-publicised expenses claims over the past week, which have surprised the public with great disappointment and cost the government public trust that all MPs need to work hard to regain.

    While the police will not investigate into the leak of the MPs' expenses claims, Brown had made it clear that Labor members of Parliament or candidates will not be able to stand for the next elections if they defied in the rules.

    MPs have been urged to pay back the unreasonable expenses imposed on the taxpayers and party leaders are expected to meet and discuss reform of MPs' reforms later on Tuesday.