Grainne Carruth was Bertie Ahern’s secretary, the Irish PM had been dogged by corruption scandals and allegations that he had for many years been taking bribes from property tycoons. Nothing ever stuck to him, investigations and tribunals were overcome. He became known as the “Teflon Taoiseach”.

The press suspected he was guilty of more than just sharp practice, but the voters tolerated it as the economy bubbled. That was until his secretary under cross-examination had a nightmare time in the witness box as bank records were produced to contradict her sworn evidence that she had not lodged cash for Mr Ahern while serving as his constituency assistant. She had earlier supported Ahern’s testimony, when confronted with bank records which flatly contradicted him she broke down in tears saying plaintively: “I just want to go home.”

The widespread suspicion that Ahern had something to hide, and had sent in an employee to carry the can for him, led to a surge of public feeling against him. He was finished, Irish voters would tolerate a politician who was a bit “cute”, but not a bastard who would put his constituency assistant on the stand to lie for him. Something for Chris Huhne to reflect on…