This article shows that prevailing socio-political norms contribute to a politicalculture of corruption and clientelism in the small island state of St Lucia. Drawing on interviewswith members of parliament and senators, the study brings to evidence how entrenched normsdetermine the room for manoeuvre for these individuals to conduct their work. A politicallandscape has developed in which corruption has taken root, and in which there is neitherpolitical incentive nor will, to come to terms with fraudulent behaviour. The article alsosuggests that, on the few occasions that political representatives have attempted to act againstthis culture, the socio-political costs for the individual have been quite high.