Zahawi isn’t the first politician to have failed to apologise properly for his wrongdoing, and he probably won’t be the last. Former health secretary Matt Hancock, for example, refused to apologise to the families of people who died in care homes during the Covid-19 outbreak. Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, faced a string of scandals during his time in office but rarely took full accountability for any of them. So are there other factors beyond our individual psychology?

According to Nicholas Allen, professor of politics at Royal Holloway University in London, our political culture might play an important part too. As well as a total failure to apologise, he points out, many politicians also offer a ‘non-apology’, where they try to downplay their failings or paint themselves as a victim — think Matt Hancock grovelling to his I’m A Celebrity campmates about having fallen in love when he had an affair with a colleague during the pandemic.

“Full apologies shine a spotlight on politicians’ failings in the minds of political friends and foes alike, and may undermine their reputation for competence and suitability for holding public office,” he points out. “A politician who admits to being a crook can generally wave goodbye to a political career.”

And while studies of politicians’ behaviour in other countries also show a reluctance to apologise, says Professor Allen, there are certain features of the UK system which might encourage or exacerbate this behaviour.

Why don’t politicians ever apologise? The behavioural psychology of (not) saying sorry