Anthony Barnett (London, OK): I wrote what I felt was a kind of brief political obituary for Peter Hain, after reading about the think tank front that funded his campaign debts. It suggested a network of shady practice. Whether or not he resigned, his future career was blighted. Now it looks as if even in the short term his defiance will not be as successful as Sir Ian Blair of the Met (or Tony Blair of you name it). As Alex Hilton at LabourHome says Hain's position is untenable. Or just take a glance at Google's 638 "related articles" as I write this. It is not just coverage. Fraser Nelson, in Spectator Coffee House makes the neat and effective point that he is the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which has prosecuted nearly 29,000 people for benefit fraud in 2006-07 after they failed to fill in properly its long benefit forms. So he can hardly plead exemption because he didn't know how to fill in a straightforward form from the Electoral Commission.
In a beautifully written, classic d'Ancona column in the Sunday Telegraph, Matt puts in the knife. But I feel he does so too generously. He opens by moving from politicians to the "political class" as if this was one and same thing. But the political class includes mediacrats and high officials - hence Sir Ian Blair must go - if the argument of Peter Oborne is to be followed, as set out in his 'The Triumph of the Political Class'. Oborne also charges it with a generalised, 18th style corruption. I'm not sure I agree completely but I am sure that what exists is worse than Matt suggests. He charges the members of the government with,
a disgraceful nonchalance about the rules that New Labour has so piously framed and trumpeted as its own.
And continues,
In truth, most political sleaze is about carelessness and dozy disconnection from the public rather than monstrous immorality. It is not the hand in the till, or snout in the trough, but the shrug of the shoulder: the collective "so what?" of a fading oligarchy that cannot quite believe it is being held to account.
This is inadequate. The reality is neither about being dozy or being monstrous. The ones who go for the money love the money, enjoy sailing close to the wind, know they are cutting corners and seek to enjoy the good life. They like the company of businessmen who they see as models of success and power, and are bored by the little people and routines of party political life, now largely evacuated of ideas. The Conservatives should take Hain's fate as a warning, especially because he is - or was - a clearly competent, effective and dedicated politician.
