Leading Article: This time Willetts gets it right

Jaws dropped. MPs muttered "disgraceful". They weren't referring to David Willetts's behaviour, but to the Committee on Standards and Privileges which condemned him and triggered his resignation from the Government. Isn't this bizarre? The man was caught red-handed trying to manipulate the Commons investigation into the "cash-for-questions" affair, and pretended to the committee that he was doing nothing of the sort. Of course he was right to resign.

But in a government stuffed full of ministers such as Messrs Lyell and Waldegrave, who have hung on in spite of far more questionable behaviour, Mr Willetts's resignation is remarkable indeed. Let us applaud his decision to go with the same vigour with which we condemned his original misdemeanour.