Election time is, of course, the worst time to have to make a judgement about politicians. The stunts, the handshaking, the backslapping - it looks phoney, and gives a significant boost to the image of politicians as that of egomaniacs out for themselves. A few are genuinely corrupt. The Jonathan Aitken affair, the Neil Hamilton case, and numerous others give our elected representatives a bad name. But to say that all of them are morally bankrupt is perhaps wide of the mark.
Many politicians do go into politics motivated by their principles.
Certainly, particularly in the generations before the current crop of Westminster hopefuls, the sorts of people who entered politics were particularly idealistic, or at least felt that they could help the country achieve greater success. A couple of the big names who will be standing down at this election are particularly notable. Tony Benn and Ted Heath have always been respected for their decency, even if they have been loathed politically by both their natural opposition and by members of their own party. Both entered politics with a desire to improve things for Britain. Both achieved political success, Heath becoming Prime Minister, and Benn Minister for Trade and Industry.