Shaprio has long denied any knowledge of the Ponzi scheme and federal prosecutors on Tuesday were careful to point out the civil settlement contains no finding of fault against Shapiro and his family.

FORBES: Carl Shapiro Could Still Go To Jail Over Madoff Ponzi

The Tories may point out that the unexpectedly suicidal economic policy in the euro zone, Britain's main market, is hardly their fault.

ECONOMIST: British politics