At least 52 MPs have signed a Parliamentary motion calling for BBC political editor Nick Robinson’s expenses to be revealed.
The Early Day Motion, tabled today by MP and former minister Peter Kilfoyle, was written after MPs were angered by a post on Robinson’s BBC blog yesterday.
The former ITN political editor speculated why MPs from all parties had expressed support for speaker of the House Michael Martin who has been accused of not properly declaring his expense claims.
Robinson picked up the Specialist Journalist Award a thte Royal Television Society Awards last week.
The motion, titled The Reporting of Mr Nick Robinson, said: ‘This House deplores the innuendo of the blog of Nick Robinson, the BBC’s lobby correspondent; calls upon him to substantiate the imputations he makes in his blog concerning the Speaker and hon.
“Members; and also calls upon the BBC to publish a full, itemised account of the expenses of Mr Robinson, in the name of transparency and accountability of public funds.”
Former sports minister Richard Caborn and MPs Eric Morley and George Haworth have also signed.
Martin’s press spokesman Mike Grannatt resigned on Saturday after the Mail on Sunday revealed that the speaker’s office had not told the truth to him about £4,000 worth of taxi receipts.
The paper used the Freedom of Information Act to reveal that Martin paid £4,280 on taxis since May 2004.
Robinson had not returned Press Gazette’s calls this afternoon.
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