Last week David Cameron ordered frontbenchers to declare if they employed relatives. Within hours the Prime Minister was making similar noises.
The Tory leader is setting the pace again today – announcing fresh requirements for frontbenchers. This is what Sky is reporting as ‘breaking news’:
"All front bench Tory MPs must name their staff, reveal the number of staff they employ, the position they fulfil and whether they work in Westminster or the constituency. If a Member of Parliament employs a member of their family, they should be separately declared, within a salary band which should also be declared."
Ben Brogan describes Mr Cameron’s pace as "hare-like". Indeed it is. If the Conservative Party has a Clause IV issue then it concerns the behaviour of its MPs. On Saturday Charles Moore talked about a problem of men, not measures. In the last week David Cameron has shown he understands that voters are now unwilling to tolerate MPs with, as the Daily Mail delicately put it, ‘snouts in the trough’.
3.45pm: Over at CentreRight.com Douglas Carswell MP argues that politics will only be restored with radical reform of parliament and accountability structures: "If we want a legislature with fewer vacuous soundbites and which actually holds the executive to account, we need to elect MPs willing to be more than cheerleaders."
7pm: Guido does not think that David Cameron is doing enough: "Why not list every item? Businesses don’t put in VAT returns missing receipts for items under £250."