Anthony Barnett (London, OK): The Erminegate, kickbacks-to-cronies story brought back an old memory to me, from the days of "sleaze" when cash for questions tainted the Conservative government. This too involved undercover journalists trailing round the most likely suspects until they got some of them drunk, greedy or off-guard enough to agree to a deal. In the process many more were asked. This time, according to the Sunday Times, ten Lords were approached and four agreed. Some of the others refused robustly. Others simply never get back to them with anything they could go on.

Here is the thought I had back in the old days when there were no blogs to record them. "Why did no one report the attempts to corrupt the system?". Is it merely honourable to refuse to be corrupted? The fact that none of the Tory MPs who were approached blew the whistle, called the Speaker's office, or rang the police after a criminal proposition was made to them was one the things that convinced me of the inner rottenness of the state of the Tories at that time. The same goes for the Lords today. When they say that there are 'rumours' of corruption it means that they all know that deals are taking place within their wheels. That this is 'the way it is'. By not reporting a crude approach, those who remained silent also give their permission to it being made to others. It is impossible not to think that perhaps they are beneficiaries of more 'deniable' revenues and don't want to 'rock the boat'.

If the system was not corrupt it would be dangerous to try and bribe legislators.