By: KENNETH MAXWELL

Folha de S. Paulo - Op-ed section - page A2

It is reassuring in February to cross the Atlantic from frozen New England and spend at least a weekend in Devon, Old England. But in Devon this week Spring has already gloriously arrived. It is also some relief to find that the local newspapers here are much less concerned with Hillary's stumbles, McCain's past indiscretions, or even Obama dressed up in Somali drag, than they are with the five nations rugby competition, and two serial murderers brought to Justice by DNA evidence. Not to mention an unfolding case of long term child abuse, on the island of Jersey; a place well known of course to Brazilian politicians looking to hide their assets.

These are the stories, that dominate the headlines.

Then there is the case of "Mr Speaker." That is the scandal swirling around, Michael Martin, the Speaker of the House of Commons. Over the weekend the speaker's spokesman resigned claiming "someone" in the speakers office had misled him into making a false statement to the press. Mary Martin (the speaker's wife not the actress) had apparently spent 4000 pounds on taxis for shopping trips paid for by the speakers parliamentary expense account. The spokesman had said these trips were official business and that Mrs Martin was accompanied by an "administrative officer." In fact, she was accompanied by her housekeeper. More revelations followed; the use of air miles accumulated on official business for family trips; claims for excessive housing allowances and so on. The parliamentary watchdog, the "commissioner for standards" has been asked to investigate.

The Speaker is a rumpled, heavily accented, working class Scotsman who left school at 15, became a metalworker, union organizer and labour party stalwart. The press, on both left and right, has called for his resignation; but labour politicians have rallied around Mr Martin claiming he is a victim of regional and class prejudice. "People who went to private schools and Oxbridge, who didn't like someone from a working class background in Glasgow getting into the highest office in the sate" is how Lord Foulkes of Cumnock explains it. Unless this defense of the Speaker of the House of Commons by a member of the House of Lords seems incongruous, it needs to be pointed out that Lord Foulkes is another working class politician from Scotland who made it up though labour party ranks.

Does all this sound familiar? Hello Brasilia. You are not alone!

KENNETH MAXWELL is a weekly op-ed columnist (every Thursday) for Folha de São Paulo, Brazil's leading newspaper.