Cash for Honours - the makings of a great soap

If you're not in the UK or not interested in UK politics, you're probably oblivious to the current Cash-for-Honours scandal gripping the UK press. But if you like watching a good soap mixed in with a bit of a thriller, this is 'must have' viewing.

Put simply, the UK's govering party, the Labour party, stands accused of selling seats in the Parliament's upper house (the House of Lord's) in return for cash to fund party activities. Pretty serious stuff. Its been rumbling on for a while, with plenty of intrigue, sub-plots and a few twists. But just recently, its got really interesting with several 'gagging-orders' issued by the Law Courts, preventing the media from reporting on aspects of the case.

But who's really behind these gagging orders. Is it the Government, trying to save its neck and using (abusing) the legal system in support of self preservation. Or is it the police, trying to suppress evidence whilst they complete investigations and deliver a knock-out below to Tony Blair and his team.

And that's just the start. Behind the scenes we have half the Labour Party baying for the blood of their leader (& former hero) Tony Blair. Oh how they'd love to see him instantly dismissed from office in a cloud of shame, all because of his policy in Iraq. The other half of the party, perhaps those with less conviction but more of a taste for power, try desperately to surpress the scandal for fear that it will imperil their chances at the next general election.

And then we have the entrepreneurs and beneficiaries of the peerages. They're sitting on their Sun Seekers in Monaco wondering why they hadn't stuck the cash into buying a football club rather than seeking fulfilment through a seat in the Lords. All that money.... who needs the grief.

Oh, and what about the other political parties. Never slow to 'stick-the-boot-in' when they see an opposing party in trouble, they're silence is remarkable (not really). The main benefactor to the Lib Dems is in prison on fraud charges whilst the Tories have no desire to shine a light on their own 'creative' methods of fundraising.

Finally, we have the media, who are quick to express their indignation at the gagging orders, as they strive for transparency and truth in our democracy. But could it be that the media barons also have an eye on the inflated advertising revenue that a humdinger story like this will deliver.

Oh, you've got to love democratic politics!!