Hansard 26 Jan 2006 : Column 2271W
PRIME MINISTER
Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to (a) review and (b) reform the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. [45974]
So just over a month ago there was no problem, then Blair gets caught with his fingerprints all over the till and his personal Downing Street advisers allegedly lying to the Appointments Commission whilst running a covert funding operation. Today he and all the parties are like repentant psycho-serial-borrowers “Stop me before I anonymously borrow again”.
This recent EDM from Gordon Prentice takes on an amusing dimension today:
EDM 1604 ABUSES OF HONOURS 08.02.2006
That this House notes that since the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 was put on the Statute Book there has been only one prosecution, in 1933; and believes with the passage of such a long time without prosecutions, organisations such as the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust should be reminded of its existence.
What most sickens Guido is the defence the whole political class is adopting – “everyone does it.” That is not a defence, it is an admission of guilt.
