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case was one of them. In 1975 the architect was jailed for five
years for bribing public figures to win contracts. He had cultivated
contacts in the local Borough Council and officials at the
larger West Riding (Yorkshire) County Authority. The Home Secretary
was forced out of office over it.
How would one go about proving corruption even though it
might be suspected. Is a friendship between a developer and
a councillor proscribed? Technically why shouldn't friends go
on holiday together, visit each other's houses, attend parties
and generally socialise? They are entitled to be members of the
same Golf club or Freemasons' lodge. There is nothing tangible
to get one's teeth into to prosecute there. Maybe Poulson's
mistake was that he wasn't a member of a lodge and so therefor
they didn't close ranks to protect him.
So to sum up this aspect. Corruption obviously occurs. The
trouble as far as the average person's involvement in due process
is concerned, is that open inquiry is thwarted by the official
culture of Omerta.
Why Government Should Be Democratic
The political party system in the face of the important matters
we are now faced with should have had its day. We are still
faced with the 'first past the post' system in local government
just as we are in national government. People are voting at the
local polls sometimes on issues which are nothing to do with
the district. It could be to show their disapproval of the national
government that they might vote for the other side in local elections.
This is actually nonsensical. The only people who really
benefit are the political pundits and commentators. It results in
roughly just over half the body of councillors, or thereabouts,
being able to carry through whatever they wish on each subject