All politicians of the right-wing liberal VVD party, from prime minister to local councillors, will have to sign a statement of integrity, party chairman Benk Korthals told the Nos on Tuesday.

‘We are the largest party in the Netherlands and we want to provide honest politicians,’ he told the broadcaster.

Signing the statement will be voluntary, but not doing so will have consequences, such as languishing at the bottom of the list drawn up for elections.

The introduction of the statement follows several recent scandals involving VVD politicians. A councillor in Noord-Holland was accused of corruption and bribery and the mayor of Schiedam is suspected of fiddling his taxes.

For politicians who do not know the meaning of the word integrity, there will be courses in how to be honest, Korthals said.

He will present the statement during the membership meeting on Saturday.