Corruption at the ramparts of finance

David Field

Apparently our national distrust of France makes us think that its finance and governmental affairs are corrupt. Many people I have spoken to often believe Britain, with its Old Bailey inscription of "defend the children of the poor & punish the wrongdoer" is indefatigable in its pursuit of justice. That there are no peers alongside the old lady as far as justice and fairness is concerned.

However, Gideon Rechman believes that our reputation is beginning to look just that, only a reputation and no real mettle to back it up. He is of course referring to two recent scandals that have drawn a fair amount of press attention, but no actual justice. Our prime minister, Tony Blair, was recently the subject of a "gentlemanly chat" according to the Financial Times blogger, over the so-called 'cash for honours' scandal. This occurred in the middle of the day and in a fairly relaxed mood. This is in sharp contrast to the treatment that Dominique de Villepin received at the hands of French justice seekers.

Mr de Villepin was the subject of investigations over the alleged 'clearstream' scandal, which he was happy to cooperate in. The affair involves former intelligence staff and the presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy and, fittingly, the French have taken the matter seriously.

So why has Mr Blair had an easy ride? Well for starters, with no comparison suggested to the French affair, Mr Blair isn't a suspect in the cash for honours scandal. He wasn't questioned under caution and he wasn't given preferential treatment, other senior politicians in both major parties have already been questioned. Mr Blair is the head of the Labour Party and he was rightly questioned in a subject that he himself had promised to make more transparent. However, what's with all the calls for stone clad cells and lie detector machines? The man's not a suspect, so he shouldn't be treated as one.

The other case that Mr Rechman so eloquently refers to is the Saudi-BAA affair, which has led to an investigation into bribes being called off. The Saudis were feeling a little hot under the collar and threatened to pull out of a lucrative deal with BAA - the major military contractor in the UK. People have thrown their arms in the air at such a turn up, the Liberal Democrats have cursed their Labour rivals for not following their ethics and siding with corrupt big business. Sadly, choosing cash over complex investigations liable to offend your customers is a fact of life. Corrupt? No. Realistic? Yes.