Blair stands firm over sleaze inquiries

Of course Mr Blair wants ministers accountable to him, not to an independent commissioner for ethics, or to Parliament. A minister who has erred depends even more on the Prime Minister's favour and is likely to respond with more alacrity to his orders.

The minor corruption of ministers is the echo of the greater corruption in our body politic. The Government is systematically creating armies of dependant voters. Those in the burgeoning public sector hold their sinecures at the Prime Minister's whim, just as much as his craven elite of coddled ministers in their grace and favour homes.

We may already have passed the point at which Labour can be unelected. We may have to wait for the bailiffs from the International Monetary Fund and for the extremists of the Trade Union movement to perform once more the unholy pincer movement that began the Thatcher era.

Telegraph | News | Blair stands firm over sleaze inquiries