Learning from mistakes - or not!

OK - spot the connection:

Peter Hain

Wee Wendy Alexander

George Osborne...

Aye - politicos who are in hot water over donations to their various activities.

Why can't they learn? They're not the first ones to fall foul of the rules about declaring income. Remember Henry McLeish?

It doesn't inspire confidence when the people entursted with governing the country can't follow rules - which they have been involved in drawing up!

But I think there's a deeper, moral question in all of this. What do they need the money for?

How did Peter Hain spend more than £100,000 on an internal party campaign to be Deputy Leader? Why did Wee Wendy need any money at all - she was elected unopposed! Does George Osborne have an explanantion (proper explanantion, not feeble excuse) for half a million pounds to run the shadow Treasury?

Has any of this money be used wisely? Or has it simply been used for self-indulgence - or worse?

And don't get me started on the obscene sums being spent on Presidential candidacy campaigns across the pond!!