Brown, like Major, is falling prey to the media’s habit of linking unrelated stories

Before Christmas, on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, Sir John Major gave his thoughts on politics ancient and modern. Since leaving Downing Street Sir John has been sparing with his public appearances, and because he has always commanded personal respect and has a fair-minded way of talking, these occasional interventions get attention. The moderation of his language, however, should not distract us from the sharpness of his views.

What attracted the headlines this time were Major’s pointed remarks about ‘sleaze’. He said that in the case of the present government, but not (despite media impressions) his own, sleaze had become ‘systemic’. He did not deny that during the last years of Conservative government in the 20th century a relentless media and opposition barrage attached the word ‘sleaze’ indelibly to the word ‘Tory’, but Sir John insisted that corrupt behaviour in those days was associated with individuals rather than an entire party or government.