John Major

The 'cash for questions' affair of 1994, in which two Conservative MPs were accused of taking money to ask parliamentary questions, led Major to set up the Committee on Standards in Public Life under Lord Nolan. Its seven principles of public life, selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership, and its recommendation of an independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards still govern British public office. It did not save his government from the 'sleaze' label that helped sink it in 1997.