Sunday thinkpiece: setting an example

I remember when some footballer – it might have been Wayne Rooney or it might have been any of a number of others – committed some idiocy or act of unfaithfulness, there being a call for him to ‘set an example’. And I thought ‘why should he, though?’ – here is some uneducated thug with more money than is really good for him who regularly receives the adulation of other uneducated thugs with less money than they’d like. Where in the deal does it say he should be in part responsible for the behaviour of a younger generation? That he should conduct himself in a manner befitting.... what?

But our protestant morality makes us keen to condemn. I once compared imaginary newspaper headlines with an Italian. We came up with

England: John Smith – my three in a bed shame

Italy: Forza Giovanni! Two in one night!

So how should we regard the doings of the famous? Who should be setting an example? Obviously times change: there was a time when a politician getting a divorce would have had to resign, but not now. Let’s take the example of a judge. If his marriage breaks down it is just unfortunate. Surely there is no reason for criticism. Supposing His Lordship indulges himself perfectly legally with a prostitute – aaah!, we are beginning to think, respectable pillar of society sees tart! – but prostitution is legal as long as it does not involve pimping, kerb crawling, keeping a brothel etc. And it would not affect his ability to do his job, as it would if he had been caught with his hands in the till. But we would like him to behave with Victorian propriety, setting an example.

Now politicians. After the recent resignation of Alan Johnson, the shadow chancellor, there was no suggestion he might have behaved better – nor, I think, should there have been. Boris Johnston, the Mayor of London, is said, by the girl in question, to have persuaded her to have an abortion, and, it appears, has fathered a child with another woman while still married. There seems to be no suggestion that this behaviour should disqualify him from office. Should there be? What would disqualify him?

And so, to the inevitable Silvio Berlusconi. Let us suppose for a second that he is not convicted of sleeping with an under age prostitute (by the way, this is an odd law. Prostitution is very common in Italy; is the man supposed to demand a girl’s ID before giving in to her charms? And lumped in with having sexual relations with her is the Clintonesque ‘Palpazione concupiscente’ which means, more or less, heavy petting or groping). Anyway, let’s assume that he is not guilty of that (which would, I have no doubt, be a resignation issue) what has he done?

And yet we all know, at least the press do, but I think the people as well, that he has not been setting an example, that he has let the country down, or as Gianfranco Fini colourfully put it, ‘muddied the good name of Italy’. Why, though? Is it because he was elected to represent his country and his private life must be whiter than white? What about Boris Johnston, elected to represent a city more populous than Switzerland or Ireland?

I think there are two answers. One is that Boris, the cheeky chappie, can look a bit of a victim of circumstance whereas Silvio, the worldly wise self made billionaire, looks as if he is above the rules. And the second is that Berlusconi seems to be a serial performer, creating an overall impression of falling short of the ideal.

Should there be rules as to what a politician can and can’t do? Should they be nuanced, such as (sorry to bring up Clinton again) smoking a joint but not inhaling? I think not. Voters must see things in the round, the overall picture. Churchill is an obvious example: no one complains about his drunkenness, in the light of his having been so magnificent in the war. Perhaps people perceive Boris as a wonderful mayor of London. They will turn a blind eye to his little peccadilloes if he makes a success of the Olympics, as they will to Wayne Rooney as long as he keeps scoring goals.

And Berlusconi? Well, he needs to chalk up a success or two. With that to show off, people will forgive anything. And anyone.