Sleaze

A small story sneaked into the corner of the Guardian on Monday which I missed on first glance. Apparently Martin Bell and Terry Waite are 'marshalling a network of anti-sleaze independent candidates to target the seats of MPs discredited by their expenses claims...'

This warmed my heart. Firstly because a few quality independent MPs, whose hearts and minds have to be won by debate and argument rather than whips, in the House of Commons, has to be good for democracy. Secondly, because I fear that votes against expenses abuses will be cast for the opposition rather than for the opposite party to the fiddler. It is the New Labour project that has been stained by expenses claims regardless of the variety of political hues which were tainted. Moats, duck houses and wisteria-clearing were, as I recall, all Tory matters.

So bring on the white suits. Cheer me up.