"Two Minute Hate"

Before the Hate had proceeded for thirty seconds, uncontrollable exclamations of rage were breaking out from half the people in the room. The self-satisfied sheep-like face on the screen, and the terrifying power of the Eurasian army behind it, were too much to be borne: besides, the sight or even the thought of Goldstein produced fear and anger automatically. He was an object of hatred more constant than either Eurasia or Eastasia.

I think there is a class issue with respect to current attacks on Speaker Martin, although I am not claiming that these are the only or prime reason for his problems.

At this stage though, quite a lot of MPs have in interest in the Speaker becoming the focus of public anger.

Gordon Brown seems to have done nothing wrong himself, at least with regard to his expenses expenses, but as leader of the government and the largest party, he is probably being hurt worst.

Even the more politically agile David Cameron and Nick Clegg both have problems with the perceived integrity of their MPs.

There has been so much information released in the past eleven days that a lot of the smaller scandals will fall in prominence. What this crisis really needs, from the viewpoint of party leaders, is a focus of public hate so that someone can be scapegoated.

The Speaker is a useful figure for them all.