Peter Mandelson. Chief propagator of New Labour. Perhaps one of the cleverest men in the present Government.

Geoffrey Robinson. Ex-Paymaster General. Perhaps one of the richest men in the Government.

Robin Cook. Foreign Secretary. Perhaps one of the most ginger men in the Government.

Gordon Brown. Chancellor. Perhaps one of the most Scottish men in the Government.

Tony Blair. Prime Minister. Perhaps one of the most influential men in the world.

All of the above Cabinet (or ex-Cabinet) ministers have engaged in a practice that now seems to be becoming widespread across the whole of the Labour Government. This practice is one of the most corrupting, democracy-undermining things that could happen. And we seem to be taking very little notice of it.

I speak, of course, of cronyism. Ah, cronyism. That dreadful which should strike fear into the heart of anyone who truly believes in democracy. What is cronyism? Put simply, it is helping your friends. But in the case of this Government, is much more deadly. It is helping your friends to get the top jobs - regardless of whether they be the best candidate. It is hush-hush, wink-wink, say no more guv, the sort of thing that the Tories in the last Government would have been castigated for.

I have already written about the somewhat soiled nature of the supposed shining moral light of the Labour party. But this sort of thing shames the party even more - and they seem not to even care, laughing off allegations such as these. In the previous Government, all ministers involved were forced to resign, many times by their own party. In this one, nothing really matters except the opinion polls.

But what can we do? This Government doesn't appear to be accountable to Parliament, since its ministers never turn up there, such is its complacency. All we can do is sit tight, and hope someone brings the Government to its senses. And, of course, vote Conservative in the next election.

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