Erminegate-Good Day To Bury Bad News

With perfect timing, before Cameron was set to get his teeth into Brown over his favourite banker, the advisor suddenly quit, leaving Dave not as angry as he wanted to be. And, in all the rush, Yates of the Yard suddenly pops up to announce there'll be no police inquiry into Erminegate. Wednesday has never been so busy for spinners. 

The media and the Tory leader had the scent of blood as Brown's favourite banker was fingered for sacking a whistleblower, all set for a showdown in the commons. 

Brown's close ties with his own knighted economic advisor, Sir James Crosby, raised more than a few eyebrows, when former HBOS head of risk, Paul Moore revealed he was fired by Crosby, then the bank's CEO, after warning about the risky way the bank was heading. 

But today at PMQs, Cameron's chance to prove that he really is the true Mr Angry took a beating, when it was announced Brown's buddy had quit as deputy chairman of the useless Financial Services Authority, just minutes before Cameron could launch his attack. 

Coincidence or what? It certainly begs the question did Sir James jump or was he pushed to dig Brown out of a hole? 

Meanwhile the digging continues. A police investigation, headed by the Met's assistant commissioner, John Yates, into Erminegate and corruption in the highest of places has been scrapped.

With perfect timing and an eye on burying the news, it was announced police will not investigate allegations against New Labour peers accused of being willing to change laws in exchange for cash.

The LibDems referred the matter to police after the Sunday Times blew the gaff on the 'cash for laws' scandal with their sights on the 'untouchable' Lords and New Labour's cronies.

The Met claims the decision not to proceed was taken "after considering the prospects for obtaining evidence and whether an inquiry constituted the best use of police resources." 

Erminegate rocks the foundations of democracy with greed and abuses of power. No matter how much Downing Street and the CPS try to bury it, the stench of corruption still fills the air.

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The Other Lords Scandal Shamefully Ignored

The House of Lords holds a darker secret which threatens democracy than the scandals of Erminegate. Unelected, unaccountable untouchables are at the heart of government and escaping commons scrutiny, with major announcements coming from the 'Other Place'. 

The stench of corruption still fills the air as the Party of Sleaze tries to get to grips with the problem of its own making, promising action on criminal Lords, peers squirrelling away cash in cosy tax havens and corrupt peers quite happy to change and introduce laws for a wad of cash. 

New Labour's cronies have been hit by the iceberg of corruption. But that's just the tip of a much deeper and much more threatening iceberg looming under the surface. 

For over a decade New Labour has been digging itself into a squalid hole stuffing the place with its stooges. Blair's reforming zeal placed a whopping 386 life peers in the Lords, one more than Thatcher and Major put together. Not wanting to be out done, Brown has created 16 since he grasped the helm of the good ship democracy.

They're easy to spot from a lengthy list. Even when the ceremonial ermine is taken to the dry cleaners, people swank around with a fancy 'lord' in their title. Who would think academies mastermind Lord Adonis, now transport minister of the Crown, is really plain old Andrew Adonis? Shriti Vadera eats shoots and leaves as business minister, Lady Vadera. 

But the way government cronies have been rewarded with a posh title and privilege isn't enough. What is more sinister is the way a prime minister can give unelected cronies real power, where they are not subject to the democratic process, placing them at the heart of government, the cabinet and making major policy announcements in the House of Lords. 

Taking centre stage at the moment is of course Brown's deputy and business secretary, Lord Mandelson, who's burrowed deep into the heart of the cabinet and whose carmakers 'bail-out' was made, not in the commons but to unelected peers in the House of Lords. But later, communications minister, Lord Carter, repeated the affront to democracy with a major broadband statement - in the Lords. 

Erminegate with corruption in the highest of places rocks the foundations of democracy much more than the greed and abuse of power in the 'cash for peerages' scandal. 

But political stooges are rewarded with a "lordship"  to serve the Party and also act as a convenient way of getting non-elected pals into the heart of government and the cabinet. 

The blatant abuse of power marks a disturbing trend, with unelected chosen ones who MPs cannot hold to account, hiding away in the Lords behind a fancy title. 

The culture of greed and rewards is the hallmark of the New Labour years. Our democracy needs two Houses - one elected and the second to act only as a trusted back-stop for checks and balances and never the twain should meet.

Picture: The Sun

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Is Labour Now The Party Of Sleaze?

Erminegate came like a bolt from the blue with corruption in the highest of places. Yet the government has been slow on the uptake with public reassurance of confidence in the House of Lords. That leaves the Tories to milk the scandal and turn the tables on New Labour as the Party of sleaze. 

The Sunday Times investigation which sparked off the New Labour "cash for laws" scandal came 15 years after the same newspaper first exposed the Tory 'cash for questions' scandal in the commons, swiftly followed by the Guardian. 

Major's government was left wide open to attack as the Party of sleaze and, waiting in the wings, Blair milked it for all it was worth to help to bring down Major's nice 'n sleazy government. 

Now the tables have turned and it's the Lords of Corruption and New Labour cronies who are firmly in the firing line. 

As the story broke on Sunday, the Orange Party asked - how many more Lords of Corruption? And there lies the problem for the New Labour government. 

Out of the ten peers approached, in the Sunday Times sting only the New Labour lords went a-leaping, with three Tory, one LibDem and an Ulster Unionist having nothing to do with it. It's a New Labour problem because the place is stuffed full of its stooges, with a direct line to over a decade of political power.

Investigations are underway into the accusations. The Tories are promising a root and branch reform. A thorough deep clean is the only way to remove the stench of corruption filling the air. But behind Cameron's message is that the Conservatives will end New Labour's nice 'n sleazy ride.

Blair's much heralded reform of the Upper House went off half-cock as he set about getting rid of hereditary peers much to the delight of the Party. But behind the scenes, Blair was beavering away creating peerages for pals, stuffing the cosy gentleman's club with more than 370  cronies.

Privileged hereditary peers gave way to political stooges rewarded with a "lordship" whose job was to serve the Party and act as a convenient way of getting non-elected pals into the heart of government and the cabinet. The rich and powerful who bought peerages with Party donations came spectacularly unstuck with the greed-fuelled 'cash for honours' scandal. 

Sadly it seems few people are deeply shocked by these latest corruption revelations. They're all at it, aren't they? And it seems to chime with the general culture of greed and rewards which is the hallmark of the New Labour years. 

But our democracy runs on two Houses - one elected and the second to act as a trusted back-stop. Without the credibility of the House of Lords, that democratic process falls apart. 

For over a decade New Labour has been digging itself into a squalid monumental hole and there's no way they can dig themselves out of it. History is set repeat itself - only now the boot is on the other foot. 

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