Former PL deputy leader Anglu Farrugia, who had a dramatic falling out with Joseph Muscat in December, said today that he would consider becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives if the post was officially offered to him.

Dr Farrugia was questioned after calling on Prime Minister Muscat at the Auberge de Castille this afternoon. The meeting lasted about 10 minutes.

He declined to go into the specifics of the meeting, saying simply that it was a cordial “personal meeting” during which both men discussed national issues. 

He hinted that an offer of some sort was on the table, saying “nothing has been confirmed from my end.”

Dr Farrugia was appointed Labour deputy leader for parliamentary affairs in 2008 and resigned in December at the request of Dr Muscat after comments he made about a member of the judiciary. He subsequently did not contest the general election and described his expulsion as a “political assassination”.

Dr Muscat has repeatedly said that he looks forward to working with Dr Farrugia again.

Dr Farrugia has some experience of running the House, having presided some of the sittings of the Budget debate in 1998 when he was required to use his casting vote when Dom Mintoff abstained, although that government still collapsed a month later on a motion linked to a vote of confidence.