THREE prime ministers ago, one of my colleagues got himself into a lot of trouble.

He used his influential position, as an MP, to lobby on behalf of a company he was a paid advisor to.

It ended badly and quite rightly.

The MP was forced to resign, Conservatives lost the seat we had held for many decades in the subsequent by-election and the prime minister eventually lost the confidence of his minsters.

The rules in parliament cannot be clearer. Having a financial conflict of interest is absolutely forbidden.

MPs and ministers must never, ever use their position to favour those who have financially supported them in any way.

It is no surprise then that there is outrage that a Labour party donor has been given a directorship of the treasury after giving £5,000 to the chancellor’s office.

And there are even more questions to answer when ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) members are given a 15 per cent pay rise with no work practice reforms after the union donated large sums of money to Labour’s election campaign.

Labour’s relationship with the unions is complicated.

Set up as the parliamentary arm of the union movement more than a century ago, this relationship has done a lot of good for workers’ pay and conditions.

But in a 21st-century democracy is it right that a party of government in control of taxpayers’ cash can receive donations from huge lobbying organisations who actively expect policy to be made in their favour,in return for the donations?

ASLEF is the union of train drivers.

Thanks to this decision by our new government, their average salary will go up from around £65,000 to nearer £75,000.

The money has got to come from somewhere. Will it be higher, inflation-busting fares? Or higher taxes for workers and savers?

And for those youngsters who don’t pay tax yet, or use the train, don’t think you’ve got away with this.

It could be a tax on your future through increased borrowing.

We are barely seven weeks into this new government.

So far we have seen a series of huge spending commitments and some questionable decisions.

The only victims to date are pensioners who, for all but the very poorest, have lost their winter fuel allowance.

But we will know more in October when we have their first budget.

Only then will we have a proper idea of what the next half-decade holds in store for us all.