United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal of expenses politicians from all parties responded to the controversy. The resignation of Michael Martin, Speaker of the House of Commons, followed after he was pressured to step down for approving the allowances system that MPs have manipulated with questionable claims of expenses. The pressure and viable threats of a proposed vote of no confidence in Martin ultimately forced his resignation. Michael Martin’s response to the handling of the expense crisis was not well received by the majority of the House. He attacked MPs in Parliament who defended "The Daily Telegraph" for publishing details of expenses and allowances. Martin then
United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal as "astounding", and guidance to ministers in 2005 had stated that such expenses were not claimable for tax purposes. The Economic and Specialist Crime branch of the Metropolitan Police Service have started investigating claims made by a few MPs. Keir Starmer, Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales announced on 5 February 2010 that three Labour MPs, Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, and Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield would face criminal charges of false accounting (s. 17, Theft Act 1968) in relation to their expense claims. He said that the Crown Prosecution Service had concluded that "there is