WE voters have had it rough the past few years when it comes to our pick of politicians.
From sordid sex scandals to tractor porn, racism, anti-semitism, incompetence and straight-up law-breaking, it’s no wonder trust in politicians is at an all-time low.
The quality of our MPs is plummeting. We’ve seen rising suspensions from Parliament (at least 16 since the last general election) for behaviour including bullying, sexual misconduct and breaking lobbying rules for cash.
And let’s not forget the first ever Prime Minister to be fined for breaking the law.
Even as parties go about selecting new candidates, they continue to fail to spot wrong-uns.
Just this week, both Labour and Reform have come under fire for candidates who have been exposed as having quite unsavoury views, leading to them either being suspended or having to pull out of the race.
Labour’s Andy Brown was turfed out for sharing pro-Russian material online. Reform’s Grant StClair-Armstrong quit after it emerged he had been a cheerleader for the BNP.
It begs the question why, after all the scandals we’ve had over the quality of MPs, our political classes still don’t have their act together when it comes to picking people to represent us who are remotely honourable.
I can’t say I’m surprised that latest figures show we have never trusted our governing class les
We’re really not asking for much.
As someone who has, for my sins, spent virtually all my professional life dealing with politicians, I can’t say I’m surprised that latest figures show we have never trusted our governing class less.
Six in ten of us think we should “almost never” trust politicians to tell the truth when “in a tight corner”.
But while the lacklustre, uninspiring state of our politicians has left us drawn to figures such as Nigel Farage, who inject personality and charisma into politics, I believe what we truly crave is integrity, bravery and a genuine commitment to public service.
Fear not. I don’t believe it is all doom and gloom. Unlikely as it may feel at the moment, our politics is salvageable.
We should not forget that there are still decent, principled MPs out there who, whether we agree with them or not, are worthy of our respect and recognition.
Take Conservative Tom Tugendhat, for example. The ex-soldier has shown himself repeatedly to be a man of principle in Parliament.
The unassuming, gently spoken aspiring PM has bravely taken on China during his time as an MP, so much so that the Chinese government has banned him from entering the country.
Even more impressively, he campaigned tirelessly for tougher sentences for child abusers following the tragic case of Tony Hudgell, who had to have limbs amputated after horrific abuse from his parents.
And rising star Kemi Badenoch, who I formerly advised, strikes fear in the hearts of her detractors from how courageously she goes toe-to-toe with identity politics grifters and trans-extremist bullies. She has done so against a conveyor belt of abuse and vitriol.
Say what you want about the Tory leader prospect, one thing you cannot accuse her of is not standing by her principles, an invaluable attribute among a sea of spineless politicians.
But being a decent MP isn’t party political. Even those who aren’t lefties should still give credit to politicians such as Labour’s Rosie Duffield, who has also proven herself truly worthy of a star in the parliamentary hall of fame.
There are still decent politicians who aren’t afraid to tell us how they really feel, fight for what’s right and use their power for some good.
Despite being dragged through hell and back by her own party for upholding her belief that you can’t change sex and refusing to cower to the gender mob, she has remained resolute.
Even in the face of continued threats to her safety as she stands to be an MP again, Duffield continues to campaign for biological women’s rights and remains committed to representing her constituents.
The same can be said about the SNP’s Joanna Cherry, who, with her gender-critical views, held her head proudly above the parapet in challenging the lunacy of the party’s nonsensical and harmful policies on gender.
It is because of politicians such as Duffield and Cherry going against the party line, in spite of the personal turmoil it brings them, that we can still have a shred of hope in politicians of all colours.
Trust me, I share in the chorus of disappointment that radiates across the country every time a new political scandal emerges.
We don’t deserve such a dire bunch. But we must not lose sight of the fact that not all MPs are cut from the same cloth.
Yes, we might never get rid of all the slippery, careerist megalomaniacs in Parliament who hold the public in contempt.
But there are still decent politicians who aren’t afraid to tell us how they really feel, fight for what’s right and use their power for some good.
That’s something worth believing in — and voting for.
