David Maddox: Long-term mistrust of politicians risks turning permanent

The election – which is with us in all but name – will focus on the honesty of politics in the UK more than any before.

Already many of those standing for election, including the party leaders, have been sullied and tarnished by the furore over MPs' expenses.

It is therefore more important than ever that the whiff of corruption and cronyism is kept away from the general election.

Yet now it seems that the parties will be going into battle funded by people whose commitment to this country is tenuous to say the least. The saga yesterday over Lord Ashcroft just made matters worse.

When he was made a Lord he apparently signed an undertaking that he would become a permanent resident here. But questions have remained ever since, dodged by him and the Tories.

The truth only came out yesterday as a result of it being forced from them by a freedom of information request.

Then we had the astonishing explanation from Lord Ashcroft that permanent actually meant "long term" and not permanent.

He did not help his case by adding that he would only become a permanent resident if the Tories win – hardly a commitment to the principle.

This slithering around will do nothing to restore confidence in politics.

But then it began to become clear that it was not just the Tories at it. Labour has eight major so called non-dom donors.

Of course, the donation to the Liberal Democrats of stolen and as yet not repaid cash is one which the party has always been uncomfortable about.

Even the SNP has had to answer questions about Sir Sean Connery, although he has not given the party money for some time.

The problem is that just when we all needed a clean election, the whole atmosphere began to reek again.