NOT since the War has there been a political crisis to rival the backlash over MPs expenses. Public faith in Parliament and in the whole Parliamentary class has been badly damaged, says Neil Carter, professor of politics at the University of York.

“I have never seen anything like this. In terms of a purely political crisis, it is hard to think of anything in the post-war era which matches it.”

The resignation of the Speaker, Michael Martin, will not by itself restore our trust, Prof Carter said.

“It is right that he has gone. The Speaker has been pretty ineffective. He presided over a system that is not working, and his initial response completely missed the sense of public outrage.

“But MPs must not think that because he has gone, that will be the end of it. He had to go: but there is a sense that some MPs were using him as a scapegoat. The public sees that.”

The fallout from the public loss of faith in the political ruling class could be quite far-reaching, Prof Carter says. In the short term, there will be the impact on the European Elections next month.

There could well be a low turn-out, as voters register their disgust with politicians and the major political parties. “That could also be translated in terms of people voting for anyone but the mainstream political parties.”

That could be worrying, particularly if people turn to the BNP in protest, Prof Carter said.

Labour had also better start bracing itself for a backlash at the next general election. Yes, all parties have been affected by the expenses scandal, but Labour more than the others.

There may well be a sweeping change of personnel at the next general election, as members of the public vote for fresh faces. And because there are more Labour MPs than MPs of any other party, Labour is likely to do badly.

As the party of Government, Labour is also attracting more of the blame. “So if there is a broom sweeping through, it is quite possible there is going to be a landslide against Labour.”

That doesn’t let MPs of other parties off the hook. Any MP who the public feel has behaved badly could face de-selection, Prof Carter said. There could also be a backlash against party politics in general, with a big increase in independent candidates. “We might well get more Martin Bells. Look at Esther Rantzen.”

That may be a good thing. Party politics is important in modern democracy, Prof Carter said. It makes politics more efficient. “If you had a Parliament of 646 MPs, all of them independent, it would be quite hard to get any agreement. It is quite hard to think what a government would look like.”

But at least if more independents stood, that would shake up the main parties.

Another effect of the loss of faith in politicians may well be a growth in political protest. People are less willing to accept legislation if it is passed by people in whom they have no confidence, Prof Carter said.

“I suspect there could be more public protest, more demonstrations, more resisting of the implementation of laws.”

And what can MPs do to start rebuilding our trust?

Politicians need to be paid properly to do what is a hugely important job. If salaries are set too low, there is a danger that the best people will not go into politics.

But salaries should probably be set by an entirely independent body, without the need for a vote of approval by MPs, Prof Carter said. And the expenses system needs to be much more fair and transparent. A reduction in the number of MPs, as proposed by David Cameron, might also not be a bad thing. “I don’t see a problem with that as part of reform.”

Under-fire Michael Martin is to resign as Speaker of the House of Commons on June 21. But will his stepping down restore public faith in Parliament?

York disability rights campaigner Lynn Jeffries is not so sure.

“I think that faith is so eroded by what has gone on. I think it might take a little bit more than somebody stepping down to put it right again,” she said.

“I’m not even convinced he should have stepped down because I think he will just become a scapegoat. One of the downsides is that everybody now thinks all MPs are dodgy and clearly that is not the case. It will have a terrible impact on those who are straight.”

Eddie Benson, chairman of the Haxby and Wigginton Youth and Community Association, thinks it will be a long time before public confidence is restored.

“I can see at the next general election a lot of people not voting because there will be a lot of apathy and I think that’s a great concern because the trouble is it lets in people like the BNP.”

Michael Martin had to resign, believes Mr Benson.

“Otherwise I think there would have been a riot in the House of Commons,” he said. “Everybody is absolutely angry to bits about it.”

Clifton pensioner Les Marsh is no fan of the outgoing Speaker, but he worries that MPs are using Mr Martin as a scapegoat. It won’t work, he said.

“Once they have got a black mark against them, they won’t get that wiped out until there is a general election.

“The stench will last for an awful long time.”