Beleaguered House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin has announced he will stand down on June 21.

Mr Martin has been under mounting pressure to resign over his handling of the scandal.

Mr Martin had summoned Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other party leaders for talks today as politicians grappled to contain the crisis that has erupted following the disclosure of details of MPs' second home claims.

Want all our expenses stories, links and information? Then click here

However, the Speaker's own future was left in the balance following extraordinary scenes yesterday in the Commons when a series of MPs rose to demand he stand aside or submit to a vote of no confidence.

The Government had resisted pressure to allow a Commons debate on a motion of no confidence in Mr Martin tabled by the Tory backbencher Douglas Carswell. That motion was backed by 23 MPs by this morning.

Gordon Brown has called an emergency press conference for 5.30pm.

New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne said: "I'm not sure that hounding the Speaker out of the office is the solution to the problem.

"Yes, he's not popular and I'm getting letters saying we should get rid of him.

"But it's not magic solution to the enormous problem that we've got.

"I hope that we can get a Speaker who can lead, and the truth is the Speaker is the leader of the House.

"We're in this mess not because of the Speaker, but because of the Members of this House."

Poole MP Robert Syms, said: "What we don't know is whether or not, if he's going to resign, whether it will be immediate, whether its next week, whether its next month or at the end of the Parliament, so that will be the really interesting thing - that might decide who the runners and riders are for a successor.

"My view is it probably, given what happened yesterday in the House, it's a good thing that Michael has decided to go.

"The House has lost confidence in him, and it was clear from the points of order from both sides of the House that he couldn't carry on.

"He's just going to damage himself and it would be far better if he stands down, probably at some point goes to the Lords, then we can make a fresh start."

Jim Knight, South Dorset MP and schools minister, said: "I think it was clear yesterday (MON) in the chamber that his authority was not strong enough for him to carry on and I think it probably became clear to him that that was the case."

He said that Michael Martin had "lost touch with the people that parliament serves".

But Mr Knight added: "The resignation of the speaker should not be enough. Making him a scapegoat does not mean that MPs can then duck the difficult questions that we have to address to clean up the system."