At least some British Politicians understand the notion of accountability

[malaise]

and shame
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/31/patrick-mercer-resignation-tory-sleaze
<snip>
The Conservative party was left reeling by sleaze allegations after an MP resigned from the parliamentary party for allegedly failing to declare thousands of pounds paid by a fake lobbying firm in a damaging journalistic sting.

Patrick Mercer, MP for Newark, stepped down from the party's whip after accepting £4,000 from undercover reporters posing as lobbyists. He failed to declare £2,000 of the money within parliamentary rules and offered to secure a Westminster security pass for the lobbyist, it is understood.

The disclosure will make uncomfortable reading for David Cameron, who is under pressure for failing to introduce promised legislation to shine a light on the activities of lobbying companies. One Conservative source said: "The PM wanted sleaze allegations to be a thing of the past but they are coming thick and fast now."

Mercer, who has a majority of over 16,000, said he was resigning the Tory whip immediately "to save my party embarrassment", and would not stand again at the next general election.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Meh - it's not as if he's resigning as an MP

so he'll still get paid his salary. By resigning from the party whip, he's actually making himself less accountable, by saying he won't be listening to the party line any more.

[malaise]

2. He did say he will not run again

but you have a point

[SwissTony]

3. The next election is in May 2015.

By then, he may have decided it's in his electorate's "interests" that he remain as MP.