UK lawmaker elect new speaker after expenses anger

British lawmakers elected a new Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow after scandal forced the previous speaker to resign. Former Speaker Michael Martin resigned after widespread public anger over expense claims by the members of Parliament. He is the first speaker to be forced out since 1695. Michael Martin resigned after revelations that some lawmakers claimed expenses as small as a book of matches to as extravagant as moat cleaning. Some members claims morgages payments on morgages that were paid off or didn't exist at all. Several members of the parliament have already promised to step down next election.

The lead was very good. Short and right to the point. The article points out some of the ways the members of parliament misused funds and what the new Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow plans to do to change the way the members use funds. The article is a good length and shows who else was effected by the revelations.