Well done Mr Huhne. Now we must ensure that their are no more whitewashes, something which this Government has been good at arranging. Before they use taxpayer's money to fund political parties, however, the Government must give us democracy and Proportional Representation, so that "Majorities" in Parliament actually mirror the way the public have voted.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

The police investigation may well open up a can of worms involving bribing of officials from Local Council Planning department. In my own Council I see prima facie evidence of such behaviour based on:

1.Planning officers disregarding local bylaws such as Conservation requirements that prohibit planning develpments.
2. Buildings in areas of especial interest undergoing root and branch modifications entirely out of character with the area.
3. Frequent job movements of suspect individuals to other areas after a short period, making it difficult to track down specific officers behind anachronistic planning consent.
4. A total lack of transparency by Officers of the Council in investigating blatantly suspect support for out-of-character applications.
5. A lack of sensitivity to wide-spread views and requests of local residents challenging applications by land speculators.

These officers are the same parasites whose generous, indexed pensions are paid for by local ratepayers.

Maxadolf, Epsom, UK

Dead right - ignorance of the law used to be no defence, for ordinary mortals that is - it remains to be seen if this applies to politicians of course. Knowledge is something else:
1 : direct and clear awareness (as of a fact or condition)
- e.g., the bank had actual knowledge that the name and account number referred to different persons.
2 : awareness of such information as would cause a reasonable person to inquire further.
Busted on definition No.2 methinks. But on the other hand (excuse the legal-speak) it just might not be in the public interest - once again - to embarrass fine upstanding pillars of our political community...

Ken, Colchester, Essex

What is the point of Brown enacting new legislation regarding party funding?. There is already legislation in place governing party funding. The problem is, is that senior members of the Labour party have simply ignored the legislation. Likewise any 'new' legislation can, and probably will, be similarly ignored if they think they can get away with it. Long live the freedom of the press to bring such matters into the public domain.

paul, Banstead, Surrey

Thousands of people are convicted yearly on the dictum of Criminal law that ignorance is no defence. How in blazes name have we arrived at a point where Politicians are on the face of it attempting to circumvent the law by issuing bucketloads of blather and red herrings to attempt somehow to distract us all from a Criminal Act that took place in full public gaze.
Is the process and enforcement of Criminal Justice now before our very eyes, laying upon a slab to be carved up every which way but loose by those lawmakers of Government we have elected to suit their purpose's alone when they see fit?.

Denis Tighe, Glenrothes, UK