The Netherlands has recorded its lowest ever score on the annual corruption index published by Transparency International, but remains one of the world’s least corrupt nations.

The score of 80 is two points lower than last year and ranks the Netherlands eighth on the league table of most transparent nations. just below Switzerland and above Germany.

Of the top ten nations, only leaders Denmark and Ireland, in joint 10th with Luxembourg, improved their score this year. Belgium and the UK were ranked joint 18th with France just behind in 21st. Somalia has the lowest score of the 180 nations, with 12 points.

TI spokesman Andor Admiraal said the weak regulations for lobbyists and the funding of political parties were the main weaknesses for the Dutch public sector.

‘There isn’t a proper lobbying register, for example, which means lobbyists aren’t adequately supervised. And there are far fewer rules about the funding of political parties compared to other countries,’ he said.

The Netherlands also has no ‘cooling-off’ period for politicians when they leave office, unlike other countries where they are not allowed to work as advisers in a sector that they previously regulated until a set period of time has elapsed.

Raymond Knops, the former defence minister and Christian Democrat MP, announced at the weekend that he was leaving parliament to chair the defence and security lobby group NIDV.