Brown and Prescott contacted over cash for honours
Wednesday, 8 November 2006 12:00 AM
Gordon Brown and John Prescott are the latest and largest names to be drawn into the police's investigation into the cash for honours scandal.
News broke last night that the chancellor and deputy prime minister had been contacted by the police over loans made to the Labour party before the 2005 general election.
Police launched an inquiry after it emerged four businessmen who gave Labour £4.5 million in undeclared loans were subsequently nominated by the party for a peerage.
Since then, their investigations - which relate alleged abuses of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 - have been extended to the Conservatives, who borrowed £16 million from 13 wealthy backers.
The Metropolitan police would not confirm reports that Mr Brown and Mr Prescott have been contacted, but a spokeswoman said investigations into possible breaches of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 were ongoing.
Three people have so far been arrested as part of the investigation - including Lord Levy, the prime minister's chief fundraiser and personal Middle East envoy. Des Smith, a head teacher involved in the city academies programme, and tycoon Christopher Evans were also arrested.
Former Tory leader Michael Howard and Tony Blair's director of government relations Ruth Turner have also been interviewed by police.
All parties protest their innocence.
News of Mr Brown and Mr Prescott's involvement was first reported last night in the Daily Telegraph.
"What the police are seeking to establish is whether Downing Street deliberately concealed details of the peerage nominations from senior members of the Labour party," a source told the paper.
"The police are trying to prove if there was a conspiracy."
However, the Telegraph's source added "there is no suspicion hanging over any of them".
In addition to the chancellor and deputy prime minister, the BBC reported this morning that former minister Alan Milburn has also faced questions as part of the cash for honours inquiry.
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