Maidstone MP Ann Widdecombe has been tipped as interim Speaker in the House of Commons.

Sky News sources say the Maidstone and the Weald backbencher is prepared to stand in as interim Speaker until the next general election.

It comes after current Speaker Michael Martin announced his resignation today, coming into effect on June 21.

The new Speaker is expected to take up the role the following day.

However, when quizzed by reporters today the former Tory Home Office minister said she was still intending to retire at the next election, and was non-committal over her Speaker prospects.

Ann Widdecombe said she had not ruled out the idea but had only learned of the speculation linking her to the job as an interim Speaker.

She said: "I have only just heard about the idea and it has never been suggested to me before now. Frankly, I have not had any time to think about it.

"I do not even know that it is a good idea to have an interim Speaker. I am going to listen to what people have to say but unless there was an awful out of support out there, I am not sure."

But she confirmed that whatever happened, she would retire as MP at the election.

But one Labour backbencher said his departure next month should not be seen as the solution to the problems facing the Commons and the on-going row over allowances.

Dr Steve Ladyman, Thanet South Labour MP, said: "It was inevitable when he failed to make any announcement yesterday. If he had said that he was going to stand down at the next general election, he could have survived. Having said that, we must not think as MPs that this sorts out the expenses issue. He cannot be a scapegoat. It is important that we go on and fix the problem rather than think that in getting rid of the Speaker everything is all right," he said.

Faversham and Mid Kent MP Hugh Robertson (Con) said: "He has done the right thing in the circumstances. By no stretch of the imagination could you blame him entirely for what has happened, but his removal was a necessary pre-requisite to start the process of reforming the House of Commons."

North Thanet`s MP, Roger Gale, described the resignation as "the wrong head on the wrong block".

Speaking at the House, the veteran Tory backbencher said:

"It is hard not to conclude that the Speaker has carried the can for the failure of the House of Commons to put its own house in order."

It would have been more desirable, he said, for the Speaker to have put in place an interim agreement pending the findings of the review being conducted by Sir Christopher Kelly.

Paul Clark, MP for Gillingham and Rainham, said: "I'm sorry to see Michael Martin announce he is standing down.

"Whatever the new system is for members of parliament to provide a proper balance in terms of the necessary allowances to do their jobs what we must make sure is that people like Michael Martin who come from a working class family from the slums of Glasgow are not precluded from representing the people of this country. We cannot go back to the days where it's only those with money who could be elected to be representatives for this country."