The think-tank Barred From Voting has declared that the upcoming British election ‘may be illegal’ as prisoners are banned from voting. An 1870 British law declares that anyone convicted of a felony loses their right to vote whilst in jail but in 2004 the European Court of Human Rights declared this illegal as it violates Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is obviously problematic: giving voting rights to prisoners is unpopular with much of the population and Labour is keen to avoid the accusation of being weak on crime. But in this case, as much as the government may procrastinate, international law takes precedent over British law and Gordon Brown will eventually have to accept the ruling.

There are a number of options and in April last year the government suggested staggering the right to vote – criminals who have done less serious crimes will be granted the vote but those convicted of murder and other serious crimes will not get the privilege. This, however, will not solve the problem in international law as even serial killers have human rights.

While ‘Votes for murderers’ is far from a popular electoral strategy, ultimately the government will have to accept that European law must be implemented. They may be able to avoid their international commitments for a little while longer but this issue will rumble on on the back burner. The hope for Gordon Brown is that he can keep it off the front pages, at least until after the election.

David Cameron has launched a very personal attack on Gordon Brown over the expenses issue. In his midday speech, the Tory leader called Gordon Brown “secretive” and “power-hoarding”. Labour politics were just a “demented branch of the entertainment industry”, he added.

Both party leaders have been robust with each other before, but the overall tone of the election campaign changed to a very biting one today. Cameron also detailed his plans to reform Parliament and the lobbying industry.

Fair enough that the Tory leader tries to separate the Conservatives from a Westminster culture tainted with scandal. But is it really clever to try to pin these problems personally to Gordon Brown?

Hearing a former member of the Bullingdon Club make claims that the PM is a “shameless defender of the old elite” is slightly odd. And failing to mention that Conservative MPs were also well involved into the expenses scandal gives it a rather doubtful connotation.

The Conservative campaign strategy has appeared confident so far. But today is a different tactic. It remains to be seen whether David Cameron’s biting rhetoric today will rectify the wobbles of airbrushing and marriage tax.

Arbroath councillor Jim Millar is facing calls to stand down after he uploaded a video to the internet which portrayed first minister Alex Salmond as Hitler. The clip, which was made by Mr Millar, uses the 2004 German film Downfall but changes the subtitles to imply that Mr Salmond was the first minister. In the clip Hitler makes references to the recent cash-for-access row involving Mr Salmond and complains about Scottish cabinet ministers.

The Lord charged in the expenses scandal has stepped down from his role of leader of the Essex County Counil. Lord Hanningfield was charged on Friday with six charges of false accounting and now faces legal prosecution. He announced his immediate decision to step down, a decision that has been welcomed by local councillors.

Councillors in Blackburn have been heavily criticised by a local hairdresser after telling him he cannot keep his customers’ hair. Jeff Stone has been using the used hair from his clients to fuel his compost heap for 40 years but has now been told his is breaking the law. Mr Stone said “a man from the council came in and threatened me with legal action – I was astounded.”

An allotment keeper in Swansea has revealed her anger at being told by two separate councils that she will no longer be able to keep her allotment. For the second time in two years Christine Ford has been told that she is to be turfed from her plot – but this time by a different council. In 2008 Hextable Parish Council told Mrs Ford to move, a battle which she then won. But changes in the boundaries mean that she now falls under the jurisdiction of Swansea Town Council who are now attempting to evict her.

Francis Bacon, philosopher, statesman, scientist and fraudster?. Photo: Getty Images

We now know that at least 3 MPs and a peer face criminal charges over expenses. Sadly this is far from a new phenomenon in British politics. Total Politics looks at some of the most famous cases of corruption in parliament and rates them for their deceptiveness.

1621. Francis Bacon
It is often forgotten that one of the greatest men of the seventeenth century was a convicted felon. Bacon was Lord Chancellor under James I but was known to be unconcerned with financial issues, allowing corruption to run rife. On 17 April 1621 he was served with twenty-three charges relating to bribes and, after some resistance, he made a spectacular admission. He said: “I do plainly and ingeniously accept that I am guilty of corruption, and do renounce all defence.”
Result: He was fined £40,000 and imprisoned but his friendship with the King allowed him to avoid payment or jail.
Fraudometer: 7/10

1836-8 Benjamin Disraeli
One of the greatest figures of nineteenth century politics had a less noble start to his Westminster career. Disraeli ran for the seat of Maidstone in 1836 and won, but in the following year a lawyer called Charles Austin accused him of bribing his way into parliament. This was not particularly rare at the time but Mr Austin claimed the bribes were unpaid, claims that were probably true. Disraeli went on the attack and Austin sued him for libel.
Result: Disraeli shifted the debate from fraud to libel and he was never tried.
Fraudometer: 4/10

1922 Horatio Bottomley
Undoubtedly the most committed of our fraudsters, Bottomley had a long career of dubious activities that eventually came to a head in 1922. Bottomley, leader of the The People’s League party, had set up the John Bull Victory Bond Club, supposedly to allow small savers to lend money to the government in exchange for a chance of a prize. Bottomley pocketed much of the money, estimated to be around £50 million in today’s terms, but was caught when the company went bust in 1921.
Result: Sentenced for fraud, he spent five years in jail before unsuccessfully trying to return to the public domain.
Fraudometer: 10/10

1950 Captain Peter Baker
A Second World War hero, Baker was elected in 1950 as the MP for South Norfolk. But Baker was only to serve four years in parliament before he was caught forging letters purporting to guarantee their debts. Unlike Bottomley, however, Baker’s fraud was designed to prop up his failing businesses rather than for his personal gain. He later blamed alcoholism for his fraudulent actions.
Result: In 1954 he became the last MP to be expelled from the House of Commons in the twentieth century, a fate that may face today’s disgraced MPs. He was later sentenced to seven years for forgery. On leaving the court the prison escort whispered “seems like a long time to me” to which Baker hissed “Sounds a bloody sight longer to me”
Fraudometer: 8/10

1994 Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith
In 1994 a Guardian report accused Conservative Ministers Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith of accepting ‘Cash for Questions’ in from the businessman Mohammed Al-Fayed. The report claimed that the money had been given to the Ministers by one of the most successful British lobbyists, Ian Greer.
Result: Smith stepped down immediately and Hamilton was heavily defeated at the next election. Hamilton embarked on a long process to clear his name, starting and then cancelling a libel case against The Guardian. In July 1997 Sir Gordon Towney cleared Hamilton of charges he took money indirectly via Mr Greer but concluded there was "compelling" evidence he received cash payments of between £18,000 and £25,000 in brown envelopes at face-to-face meetings with Al Fayed.
Fraudometer: 3/10

So there we have it. Five cases of corruption in British politics, and from some key figures too. So what message should we take away from this? Fraud is the oldest trick in the political book and getting rid of it may be harder than we think.

In my last interview with the MPs appearing in Tower Block of Commons, Austin Mitchell MP shares his experiences of life in a council tower block and why council estates have been failed.

Why did you decide to take part?
Because it was an interesting opportunity to actually live in multi story flats. I’ve seen a lot of them but never experienced life there. I wanted to draw attention to the fact that people on council estates don’t get a fair deal.

Did it meet with your expectations?
It was worse than expected because the flat was in a terrible state. I’d thought the people on the estate, who were a good friendly lot, would be angrier about the conditions. In fact, they were more philosophical. But I think traditional parties and politicians haven’t helped them enough.

If not what was the biggest shock for you?
The biggest shock was the lack of facilities and clubs particularly for young people. There’s a bright new generation of kids coming up having gone through the Sure Start and the improved primary schools, but then, at 14, very little provision on clubs, sports or facilities, and idle kids can turn to mischief or drugs, as some teenagers I met had, they said out of boredom.

What do you think the residents made of you?
Probably a daft old bugger.

What have you taken away from the experience?
That we’ve failed the council estates and reduced them to social dumping grounds cut off from the wider community. The only answer is more money for repairs and renovations for facilities, and for a big new building programme to serve the needs of that fifth of the population who can’t afford to buy.

Do you think the residents learned anything from you?
I tried to show them how to get their complaints dealt with, how to pester the councillors and the parties, and how to get publicity for their problems.

Did you enjoy the experience?
Yes, very much, but it was tough. Basic problem was it’s difficult to live in a tough situation and work as a kind of social worker/observer at the same time, when every word you say and everything you do is being taken down and recorded and will almost certainly be used against you. I should have gone through the week like a Trappist monk because one aim of the production company was to make fools of the MPSs as well as highlight the conditions.

Do you think Broken Britain exists?
No, but there’s a segregated Britain which shoves so many of its problems and problem people away on council estates, cut off from the main stream of life, and expects them to go away. Council estates need to be mixed communities.

Read my other interviews with Nadine Dorries, Tim Loughton , Mark Oaten and Iain Duncan Smith on their experiences of the Tower Block of Commons.