The Age of the Blameless Politician

What stings the most is these politicians asking for the benefit of the doubt, when the public receives no such grace.

Outlining the absurdity of Peter Murrel’s £400,000 embezzlement is redundant; his purchases have already been skewered by far wittier writers than I. I particularly enjoyed Stephen Daisley’s comments in the Spectator on Murrel’s unbearable naff-ness. What is also being observed is the astonishing lack of curiosity displayed by Nicola Sturgeon. It is beggars belief that the woman who was married to, and thus had intimate knowledge of his salary and spending habits, could not have become suspicious as their house filled with silver-plated pens, designer kitchen items and expensive watches; not to mention the bloody great, state-of-the-art camper van that appeared on their drive. And yet, we are reassured, she had no idea of her husband’s crimes. In fact, we are told she has been traumatised by this discovery, deeply hurt and is deserving of our sympathy.

That instinct - to recast powerful politicians as helpless bystanders to their own scandals - has become something of a broader trend. Since the last general election, politicians caught in what appears to be staggering corruption and dishonesty seem able to wriggle free by presenting themselves as victims of process failures, misunderstandings or administrative confusion.

Take Angela Rayner. Questions surrounding her failure to pay thousands of pounds in stamp duty were ultimately framed not as an attempt to avoid tax, but as an unfortunate oversight that she moved quickly to correct. HMRC (with uncharacteristic efficiency and generosity) resolved the matter without further issue. It is difficult to perceive this generosity being afforded to the everyday citizen. And what about Rachel Reeves, who simply had no idea that certain rules had to be followed before you could rent out a property. A terrifying absence of due diligence from the woman in charge of the economy!

Or Sir Keir Starmer, who gladly received mountains of gifts, including two sets of tickets to see Taylor Swift, designer suits and some very fancy specs. His apology cast him as an unknowing victim of a system that badly needed an overhaul. As if horrified that he had been able to receive quite that many gifts in the first place, he said he would reform the process. It was the process that was to blame, not his own greed and opportunism.

But what about the Tories! I hear you cry. Partygate was an example of shocking dishonesty on the part of a Prime Minister who knowingly broke the rules. Very true, and I am not naïve enough to argue that politicians have only started lying since 2024. The difference is the insufferable performance of self-righteousness that we have been forced to endure from holier-than-thou politicians of the left, who go on to behave just as badly, if not worse. That is why the instinct to plead confusion, blame process and cast themselves as victims when scrutiny arrives now reeks of hypocrisy.

The thing is that we know. The public has stopped believing them and is showing their displeasure at the polls.

Because what stings the most is these politicians asking for the benefit of the doubt, when the public receives no such grace. As our finances are squeezed, faces scanned and posts studied for wrongthink, we see brazen requests by politicians of the left that we treat them as victims and move on. The voter knows that they would not be treated so kindly by this government if they made an honest mistake on their tax returns, or failed to follow the correct procedure when letting a property.

In the words of Big Ange, it’s one rule for me, and another rule for thee, and we are fed up.

Eve Lugg is a Voice for Freedom with Fighting for a Free Future. Eve Lugg served as Special Adviser (SpAd) in the Cabinet Office and brings with her experience in policy and comms, as well as knowledge of how Whitehall really operates.