In keeping with recent allegations of scandal from both sides, it seems that the general consensus among British adults is that Labour and Conservative Members of Parliament are as sleazy as each other (60% agree), a survey conducted on behalf of the Sun newspaper has found.
The latest scandal to rock the Labour party (notwithstanding a certain Ashcroft affair on the other side) has seen three of its former ministers, Geoff Hoon, Stephen Byers and Patricia Hewitt suspended from the parliamentary party after secretly being filmed agreeing to use their influence to help a fictional firm lobby for cash.
While refusing to indict their own preferred parties as ‘worse’ than the other (only two percent apiece on each side did so) respondents have little problem implicating their own party in the participation of ‘sleaze’; 59% of Labour respondents and 44% of Conservative respondents cite that Labour and Conservative MPs ‘are as bad as each other’. One could argue that such a reaction, even in the run up to a crucial election, is a representation of the continued indignation felt by many people toward MPs in the wake of the expenses scandal of the last year.
In response to this more recent scandal, many respondents (53%) have called for a tightening of regulations on MPs earnings outside of Parliament, so they cannot earn ‘cash for influence’. 32% go further and believe that MPs should be banned from having any earnings outside of parliament whatsoever.
For survey details and full results, please click here
