Sheebee1
IMO - As Keir admitted to misjudging the situation re mandleson he should put that money back into the system from his own pocket - lessons are not learned until those that make mistakes pay - monetarily.
I understand the frustration behind this, but it rests on an overly simplistic view of how democratic accountability works.
It assumes that a political misjudgment should lead to personal financial punishment; that people only learn if they “pay” out of their own pocket. That might make sense in a very basic, almost instinctive way, but it doesn’t map well onto how government actually functions. Political decisions are made collectively, under uncertainty, and with input from advisers and institutions. Outcomes are rarely attributable to one individual in a clean, cause-and-effect way.
In a democracy, accountability is primarily political, not financial. Leaders face scrutiny, reputational damage, and ultimately the judgment of voters. If every mistake carried personal financial liability, you’d likely end up with leaders who avoid difficult or risky decisions altogether.
That said, the underlying concern - that decision-makers don’t seem to face meaningful consequences - is a fair one. But the answer isn’t to treat governance like a system of personal punishment. It’s to strengthen the mechanisms that already exist: transparency, scrutiny, and electoral accountability.
Reducing it to “they should pay personally” might feel satisfying, but it oversimplifies a system that depends on shared responsibility and informed judgment, not just punishment.
