At the other end of the scale, Indonesian politicians represent 437,000 people, US members of the House of Representatives stand for 706,000, and in India, the world's largest democracy, each MP in the assembly represents a staggering 2.1 million people. Indeed, the Indian system makes the tin-eared behaviour of Britain's politicians pale by comparison: about 10 per cent of MPs in the outgoing parliament did not take part in a single debate. And where we are outraged when our MPs charge us for horse manure and packets of biscuits, almost a third of the newly elected Indian parliament faces criminal charges and investigations, and dozens have been investigated in murder inquiries. In Israel, too, there have been allegations of a far graver sort: a rape complaint cost Moshe Katsav the presidency in 2007, sexual harassment put paid to Haim Ramon, the justice minister, and Ehud Olmert stood down as prime minister, precipitating the recent election, because of a fraud investigation.