David Maddox: Why are the Nationalists so keen to defend the Speaker?

Tomorrow (Monday) is a defining day for the future of the embattled Speaker Michael Martin (pictured right) as he makes as statement on expenses to MPs and faces his growing number of critics.

But one corner where he does have some friends appears to be among his historic die hard opponents in the SNP

This blog has noted before how SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson gave his backing to the Speaker Martin at another time of beleaguerment.

And this week his colleague Glasgow East hero John Mason (pictured below left) has been saying the same thing as the same thing on Good Morning Scotland and on the Politics Show today.

It is surprising considering that there is little love lost between Scottish Labour (especially of its West of Scotland variety) and the Nationalists. It is not even as though Mr Mason, unlike Mr Robertson, has had his snout in the trough.

Both Mason and Robertson at different times have pointed to the snobbery against the working class Glaswegian Speaker, but also paid tribute to his fairness.

"He always calls me to speak when I want to," said Mr Mason today, echoing the words of his Westminster leader a few months ago.

But interestingly of the Scottish contingent only the Lib Dems have taken a pop. the sole Scottish Conservative David Mundell has also supported Speaker Martin.

All of which gives the impression that possibly there is concern within the Scottish ranks cross parties that their opportunities may be more limited if he is replaced by a new Speaker from south of the border.

David Maddox: The Numbers Game (8)

It always amazes me how seriously parties take the numbers games and how they crawl over every minute detail from the polls.
My earlier blog on desperation tactics sparked a fairly sharp retort from the Labour offices:

"Polls commissioned by parties do not tell you much - the parties control the questions and crucially the weightings attached to each class of voter (there were 308 people who said they'd vote Labour, but this was "weighted" to 266 in the results). Stick with newspaper polls - they're more reliable!!" It read.

And it was pointed out that while there was a healthy lead for the SNP in its own commissioned poll for Holyrood the Nationalists were behind for Westminster. And if it was compared with the last SNP commissioned poll of August 2008 the SNP were going down which ever way you look at it.

Here they all are along with Westminster seat calculations courtesy as ever of Electoral Calculus:

Westminster (seats won and change in number in brackets):
August 2008: SNP 36% (26 +20) Lab 29% (22 -19) Tories 18% (4 +3) LD 13% (7 -4)
April 2009: SNP 30% (10 +4) Lab 32% (35 -6) Tories 21% (5 +4) LD 13% (9 -2)

Holyrood constituencies:
August 2008: SNP 44% Lab 25% Tories 13% LD 14%
April 2009: SNP 37% Lab 30% Tories 15% LD 13%

What does this prove?
1. Voters are fickle.
2. They vote differently for Holyrood than Westminster.
3. Point 2 suggests that SNP votes are not necessarily for independence.
4. Minor fluctuations in support could lead to dramatic changes in results (see the Westminster seat calculations).

Tom Peterkin on Alex Salmond MP

That thorny issue about Alex Salmond being both an MSP at Holyrood and an MP at Westminster has raised its head again.
His so-called "dual-mandate" earned him the wrath of the Tories in the papers this morning. The Conservatives released figures showing that he voted less often at Westminster than any other Scottish MP.
He also had the third worst record of speaking in Commons debates and was joint last when it came to submitting oral questions.
Annabel Goldie gleefully pointed to Salmond's website, which claims he consistently ranks in the top 10 hardest-working MPs.
Salmond has already made it clear that he won't stand at the next Westminster election - whenever that is. Nevertheless, his insistence on carrying out two jobs (and that's without counting his third job as First Minister of Scotland) is clearly beginning to rankle.
It is one thing for Alex Salmond MSP MP to annoy the Conservatives, but he should take heed of how this issue is playing in his constituencies of Banff and Buchan (Westminster) and Gordon (Holyrood).
This morning the Press and Journal, the oracle consulted by most of his constituents, said: "There is no doubting whatever Mr Salmond's workrate, but even he cannot possibly give sufficient time to each of the three roles he now has to perform.
"He has already announced his intention to stand down as an MP at the next general election. Perhaps he should give serious consideration to doing so earlier than that." Ouch!