David Maddox: No wonder Labour back-benchers are furious

JUST when Labour MPs thought it was safe to go out again and meet their constituents, along comes another sleaze scandal. The tawdry image of former Labour ministers prostituting their services to the highest bidder has added to the party's woes, coming on the back of the fact they will be fighting an election with three of their soon-to-be-former colleagues in the dock over their expense claims.

These ministers are people who, not long ago, were trusted with some of the highest offices in the land.

No wonder the Labour back-benchers were furious last night. No wonder they have forced the party leadership, who had simply wanted to ignore the story, to act and deal with these three.

They are fed up of being made to look like a bunch of greedy crooks by others and want voters to know that put up with it they would not.

Labour MPs now know how the honest Tory MPs – yes there were some – felt back in 1997 as one sex scandal followed a perjury case, followed cash for questions and then some more sex scandals again. The Conservatives then headed to a catastrophic defeat, largely because their longevity in office had allowed some to think they were invincible and in many cases had bred a level of corruption. The public knew and dismissed them forthwith.

Yet things are arguably worse for Labour. We have had the expenses scandal, police investigating cash for peerages, MPs in the dock, ex-ministers selling access – all that on top of what was possibly an illegal war.

Even the early days of Tony Blair's fresh new government was marred by Bernie Ecclestone giving his party 1 million apparently to allow tobacco advertising in F1. It also had the Robin Cook marriage break-up scandal. The main difference now with 1997 is that the expenses scandal has left all the parties tarnished. The Tories have had to explain moats and duck houses.

But the one real crumb of comfort for Labour MPs is that they are serving in a parliament probably perceived to be the most corrupt since the 18th century. The feeling is more "a plague on all their houses".

However, this final twist in the tale from Byers, Hoon and Hewitt could still prove damaging. Their brazen behaviour is typical of a party that has been too long in power and, with the Tories ahead in the polls, it may be the final push which convinces voters it is time for a change.