Romseyredhead

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Prime Ministers Question Time

Not very well attended today and - somewhat predictably, Michael Howard opened up with questions on standards in public life - a thinly veiled attack on David Blunkett.

It is clearly moral high ground time again but I still believe that the 92-97 Conservative administration was probably the most troubled by sleaze of any recent administration. Any one who doesn't believe me would be well advised to read the memoirs of Giles Brandreth called "Breaking the code" . This was a remarkably honest account of his time in the Commons and I really warmed to him as I read the book because a lot of it rings true to anyone who has been in this place. I was even sympathetic to his genuine shock and dismay as the Tories lurched from crisis to crisis.

But back to Michael Howard - it was odd that he chose to raise the subject of standards in public life on the day that one of his MPs was the subject of a special report.