The parliamentary shenanigans to prevent Brexit show that MPs often fall below the standard of ‘honourable' even though they like to address each other thus. All politicians – MPs and councillors – are representative of all of us when it comes to virtues, vices and behaviour.

If power corrupts then it is right politics is conducted in a framework that constrains unwanted behaviours and that was the backdrop to the Committee on Standards in Public Life's inquiry into local government ethics.