Local people have been telling us how sick they are of Punch and Judy politics. Any politician who pretends that everything his own party does is right and everything his opponents propose is damnable is taking the people for fools. There is nothing that the electorate will punish more ruthlessly than arrogance, as they last did when they rejected the Conservative Party in the 1997 General Election.
The Prime Minister has frankly acknowledged that people with responsible positions in the Labour Party allowed themselves to be deceived by illegally disguised donations. One has already resigned and he may not be the last. Gordon Brown has invited the police to investigate the illegal actions and he has declared that he will answer any questions frankly and honestly. We expect no less of him.
However, money and power have always had an indecent relationship in politics and the Leader of the Opposition is dangerously overplaying his hand by claiming for his party the high moral ground on this issue. Has he forgotten how many of the senior members of his party, when it was last in government, were convicted of perjury for attempting to evade justice and denying flagrant crimes, such as the acceptance of bribes? Historically, the Conservative Party has been massively backed by wealthy people looking to them to protect their interests, and they are supported by most newspaper barons who certainly do not declare their financial interests for doing so.
No party should expect to rule for ever in a democracy. It is important that every party should attract men and women of integrity for a time when they may be challenged by high office. But the Prime Minister should be given credit for introducing a more adult tone in political language by acknowledging mistakes and inviting open scrutiny. He does not deserve to be called a hypocrite for doing so.
At his party conference the Leader of the Opposition attempted to create the impression of a leader intent on taming the savage instincts of his party and preparing it to deliver a programme of "compassionate Conservatism" when it eventually comes to power. George W. Bush used the same phrase and put on a similar sheepskin disguise in the Presidential elections of 2000.
During the last period of Conservative government pensioner families on incomes of little more than £70 a week were offered £10 winter fuel allowance, but only if the weather were exceptionally severe, and unmarried pregnant women were expected to feed themselves and their unborn babies on less than £30 a week, with no prospect of finding work while three million other people were also unemployed. The Leader of the Opposition would be much wiser to remain focused on the very difficult task of persuading voters that next time the priorities of Conservative government will be quite different from anything they have offered in the past. He lets his mask slip by abusing an honest man who has buried those times so deep in history that people have almost, but not quite, forgotten.