Willie Whitelaw famously accused Labour of stirring up apathy.

Apathy about politics – and the slump in voting at elections – is back in the news. The Power Commission this week published a report analysing the problem. It looks at a host of ideas including voting at 16, electoral reform and internet democracy. (What price elections on eBay?)

It’s odd how these studies of voter apathy never tackle the real problem: the politician’s promise. Cheaply given, cheaply broken. No wonder the voters switch off. So it’s time to introduce Ofpol: the politicos’ regulator. In the same way that Ofsted polices our schools and Ofwat our water companies, Ofpol would hold politicians to their promises. We’d have league tables revealing which ministers had kept their word – and which had broken them the moment they’d said hello to their chauffeur.

But it’s never going to happen. Because it would have to be agreed by politicians. And they’re never going to give up the right to fib to the voters!