Slow Progress in Parliament: The Eighth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life
The House of Commons is at the heart of our democracy. The standards of conduct observed by its members are crucially important to the political well-being of the nation ... It is vital for the quality of Government, for the effective scrutiny of Government, and for the democratic process, that Members of Parliament should maintain the highest standards of propriety in discharging their obligations to the public which elects them. It is also essential for public confidence that they should be seen to do so.1