Imagine for a moment that Andy Burnham’s wife was investigated for money laundering, and his stepson stood trial for drug trafficking after being caught on a wiretap saying ‘we own Manchester’.

It’s hard to imagine the former mayor would’ve kept his job – let alone storm to victory in last week’s Makerfield by-election.

But here on the Costa del Sol, it seems most voters wouldn’t bat an eyelid.

Just ask Marbella mayor Angeles Muñoz, who has survived scandal after scandal – including being fined last year for lying about a house extension.

Her late husband, Lars Broberg, was prosecuted in Spain over alleged money laundering linked to drug trafficking before proceedings against him were discontinued because of ill health.

Meanwhile, her stepson, Joakim Broberg, stood trial in 2025 on charges including drug trafficking and money laundering and is awaiting judgment.

Muñoz herself has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has never been convicted or charged in relation to those investigations.

But in many parts of Europe, the circumstances alone would almost certainly jeopardise a political career.

Instead, Muñoz has comfortably won election after election.

And she’s not the only mayor to have hit the headlines recently.

The mayor of Benahavis, Jose Antonio Mena, was this week summoned as a suspect in a criminal investigation into the alleged unlawful occupation and commercial use of municipal land by the Marbella Club Hotel.

Prosecutors believe the facts under investigation could amount to misconduct in public office and misuse of public funds. Mena denies all wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Estepona mayor Jose Maria Garcia Urbano has returned to court in an investigation into the alleged irregular hiring of a woman who, according to earlier testimony, received a public salary despite allegedly never attending work.

Garcia Urbano insists the appointment was lawful and says the employee carried out genuine duties.

Despite the ongoing investigations and embarrassments, none of the mayors have faced political consequences.

The obvious explanation is that voters care more about results than headlines – with all three municipalities raking in the cash in recent years.

Marbella has continued attracting investment and is one of the world’s most exclusive property hotspots.

Estepona has transformed its town centre and just last week revealed it has reduced its debt to zero after paying off €300million that it owed.

And Benahavis remains Andalucia’s wealthiest municipality, where the average salary sits above €43,000 – with billionaires happily dwelling in its exclusive neighbourhoods like Zagaleta.

People see cleaner streets, new parks, luxury developments and rising property values, and are happy to reward competence at the ballot box.

Of course, there is an important distinction that should never be blurred, which is that being investigated is not the same as being guilty.

Being summoned to court does not make someone corrupt, and the presumption of innocence exists for good reason.

The cases against Mena and Urbano Garcia, both from the Partido Popular, have been brought by the opposition – the PSOE Socialists.

It means voters may be taking the allegations with a pinch of salt, or at least viewing them with a cynical eye until a decision is made by the courts.

Marbella may moved on from the notoriously corrupt Jesus Gil era years ago, but the slew of court appearances does little to help the reputation of the Costa del Sol – where politics and organised crime were long seen as bedfellows.