Generalism

I don’t care how much has been taken. I don’t even care how much is paid back. The fact that it has happened at all suggests neither an “accident”, nor a “mistake”, but an inbred lack of judgement and values that can not simply be erased with serious words and a deeply concerned look.

You’ve been dipping your hand in the till? You’re out! Stealing stationery from the cupboard? Out! Pick-pocketing on a grand scale? Did you see anything written down that stated it was against the rules? And did you apologise for it afterwards either in an apology video or perhaps with the writing of a cheque? Ah, well, that’s ok then. Now you be good boys and girls and carry on with running the country.

Of course trust can’t be switched on and off like a light bulb, which is a slight problem if trust makes up a big part of what you do in your life. The thing is, before everything kicked off we’ll admit that we thought you were all a bit on the shifty side; Cameron riding his bike whilst his chauffeur brought up the rear with his briefcase, Gordon Brown and his infamous Darth Vader impression, and Jacqui Smith’s slightly eclectic video tastes, but at least we thought underneath all the buffoonery you weren’t all bad, still able to fight the good fight and look out for us the best way that you knew how.

But not any more, that’s all gone. Sometimes the media get a bashing for their tendency to create mountains out of molehills, but here we have a prime reason to take their roughs with their smooths.

So what of the coming year, with the looming general election and a down-and-nearly-out Labour party? I’ve no doubt the Conservatives will be hoping to come out of this on top, with David Cameron’s frown being the deepest and most concerned of any I’ve seen on tv, but the last UK election had one of the lowest turnouts in history, and none of this will have done the trend any favours.

Quite the contrary in fact. I think what little faith we had in our country’s leadership has now been blown away on the stiff spring breezes. If life in public office is to have any meaning moving forward, it’s not just a new government that’s needed, it’s a sharp return back to the roots of public office: looking after the interests of the public above all else. Maybe that’s why they call it public office. Quite a revelation.