The corruption of Britain

Chris Bryant | Issue 6 | Comment, Magazine

From the Archive

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: European Research Group members Iain Duncan Smith and Owen Paterson leave Downing Street on October 22, 2019 in London, England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson published his Withdrawal Agreement Bill last night and will today attempt to keep to his Brexit schedule as he aims to push a series of votes through Parliament. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: European Research Group members Iain Duncan Smith and Owen Paterson leave Downing Street on October 22, 2019 in London, England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson published his Withdrawal Agreement Bill last night and will today attempt to keep to his Brexit schedule as he aims to push a series of votes through Parliament. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

The five ways in which the UK has become a more dishonest country

I was brought up to believe that Britain was different. Other countries were all terribly corrupt, but we were no banana republic, we were clean. The police, the civil service, the monarchy, they kept the country on the straight and narrow, so our politicians didn’t do dodgy deals or lie. Maybe that was a bit idealistic, yet I would bet my last rouble that if you asked most Tory MPs today about the incorruptibility of Britain, they would still hold that view.  But I’m not so sure. Corruption has taken many forms over the centuries. The Tudors and the Stuarts thought the “canker of corruption” included sexual immorality, licentiousness, adultery or any other form of sinfulness that demonstrated humanity’s fallen state. Yet they happily countenanced all but the most egregious examples of crown cronies abusing monopolies. The East India Company’s monopoly continued until 1833 and Samuel Pepys’s attitude towards taking gifts from Navy clients was that as long as he was taking them from eve...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



It’s not a popularity contest: The case for protecting Meghan and Harry 

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | August 25, 2026

You don’t have to like the Sussexes to believe the government has a duty to protect them.

Is money a factor behind Prince Harry’s move back to the UK?

Mace | August 21, 2026

Is there a connection between Prince Harry's share of a £34 million legal bill and his sudden move back to the UK? The Mace follows the money.

Are Meghan and Harry about to undergo a PR makeover?  

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | August 20, 2026

Could the Sussexes’ shock UK return finally bring peace with the royals - and the British press?

Burnham is trying to fix Whitehall, but will the political machinery change?

Mace | August 7, 2026

Andy Burnham is shaking up government with more changes than by any incoming prime minister in memory. But, asks Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, does he understand why the

Dame Antonia’s key civil service reforms are ready to be supported by Whitehall, says Jonathan Freeman

Mace | August 1, 2026

The Civil Service is ready to support Dame Antonia Romeo's flagship changes to government machinery - notably relating to AI and devolution - under new prime minister Andy

Experts warn more government support needed to help UK aviation meet net zero by 2050

Mace | July 30, 2026

UK aviation can decarbonise while meeting growth ambitions, but urgent government action is needed to prevent costs increasing for passengers and the sector losing its competitive edge.

Don’t rule out an early election as Burnham may see an opportunity to kick Reform, says Fred de Fossard

Fred de Fossard | July 28, 2026

With the new Prime minister championing policies which go beyond Labour’s very confined 2024 manifesto, an early election is not illogical.

Despite promises of radical change, Labour’s culture of ruling political families remains entrenched

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | July 28, 2026

Andy Burnham's inner circle appears to perpetuate Labour's long-running culture of nepotism, and is doomed to cause frustration among backbenchers.

Kemi’s true blue purge, with help from Sir Philip May

William Cash | July 26, 2026

The news that former Home Secretary Sir Grant Shapps has failed to make the new Tory candidate list has put fear into dozens of former Conservative MPs. Whether

Why Burnham’s energy VAT cut will make a difference

Mace Magazine | July 25, 2026

Cameron Brown, a former special advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, explains why Burnham's VAT cut on energy bills is a measure people will actually notice.