ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at 'motivation' and 'morality' from the foothills of practical experience — the experience of Britain during the last six years and its attempts to improve standards of conduct in public life generally and in particular among ministers. It explores the last six years because it was in October 1994 that Britain faced up to a growing crisis of public confidence in the probity of the then government, of politicians generally and even of our historic democratic institutions. The most obvious cause for the perception of politicians as dishonest and untruthful is that is how they so often describe each other, especially at election times. It is hardly surprising if the public tend to take the same view, thinking that, after all, the politicians themselves ought to know. The problem was fully aired before the Committee on Standards in Public Life when it was preparing its sixth report,Reinforcing Standards, which was published in January 2000.
