A Big Four senior parter travelling to Washington in the months after Enron, Worldcom and Andersen exploded was asked what he did by a Customs officer. He told him he was a chartered accountant. 'Like a CPA', he added. The Customs officer asked whether he was there to clean up the mess created by their CPAs. 'Yes,' he replied, somewhat riskily. 'I'm glad about that,' the Customs officer replied. 'They sure need it.'

A few months ago another partner in the same firm made the same trip. Again he was asked what he did by a Customs officer. He too said chartered accountant and used the CPA comparison. The Customs officer's response was different this time. 'You don't look like our CPAs,' he said. 'You're much better dressed.'

It sounds like accountants still have some way to go on the other side of the pond if they are to recover (or establish?) their reputation.