Labour's contempt is shameful

There's another load of stories on Labour's donor sleaze in the Sunday papers this week. The thing that gets me, though, isn't the new revelations - there seems to be a new slice of scandal every day - it's the attitude of the Labour politicians that's really distasteful.

The 'shoplifter returns' defence of "We've paid it back, so that's okay" allied to the idiot's defence of "I never knew it was wrong to break the law - I never meant it" and the bizarre self-hagiography "Yes, I broke the law but no-one will question my integrity, I'm beyond reproach."

There's one today where they've been caught using Parliamentary facilities to do their fund-raising. Their justification was that it was a minor breach of the rules. Can I be the first to say: no it's not a minor breach, you've broken the trust of the people who elected you. Those rules about not using public assets for party political activity are very important, and Labour's casual disregard for those rules is a symptom of a greater malaise.

Labour's casual attitude to petty corruption and the sneering contempt Labour members have for the law is shameful.

Perhaps that's why they have so many problems with communications staff.

Steven Lawther walked during the election when London started interfering.

Brian Lironi resigned within a couple of weeks of Wendy Alexander taking over.

Matthew Marr's stunning attempts to get Labour onto the front pages led to his demise.

Gavin Yates was revealed to have little respect for his new employer, describing her as abrasive (but at least he'll have the support of his mother-in-law Helen Eadie when Wendy comes for him)

Currently there is an Iain Bundred seconded from London to try to keep a lid on the nonsense. I wonder whether he's the same Iain Bundred who once said: "I'm no Bush fan - I hate the fucker in fact, but for us to take the YL banner along without a proper debate at a national committee meeting would, for me, be the wrong protest, at the wrong time, in the wrong way."?

I hear that there is more pain coming for Labour in the spin-doctor stakes, my heart goes out to them ...