Blair questioned in cash for honours probe
Thursday, 14 December 2006 12:00 AM
Tony Blair has been questioned by police investigating the cash for honours affair, Downing Street has confirmed.
The prime minister was not interviewed under caution, and no lawyer was present, which means it is unlikely he will be a suspect if any charges are eventually brought.
However, the decision to question a serving British prime minister is unprecedented and is highly embarrassing for Mr Blair and his government.
Mr Blair's official spokesman told reporters that discussions with police began at 11am this morning in Downing Street, after the weekly cabinet meeting, and ended just before 1pm.
The prime minister explained why he had nominated a number of people for a peerage. His spokesman said Mr Blair had expected to be questioned at some point, as it was these nominations that prompted the whole police investigation.
The probe began when the independent vetting commission blocked several of Mr Blair's nominations to the House of Lords because they were Labour party donors.
This prompted concerns about the way peerages were being handed out and, following an official complaint from the Scottish National Party (SNP), the police began an investigation.
Scotland Yard has so far interviewed 90 people of all political persuasions and arrested three, including Mr Blair's personal envoy to the Middle East, Lord Levy. He denies any wrongdoing, as does everyone else involved in the probe.
The investigation focuses on whether a 1925 law prohibiting the sale of honours was breached. There are allegations that the main political parties offered wealthy backers a seat in the House of Lords in return for loans. They all deny this.
Police are also looking at whether the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 was breached by parties taking loans from supporters rather than donations. Loans made on a commercial basis do not have to be made public, as donations do.
The law has since been changed and a former top civil servant, Hayden Phillips, has been asked by the prime minister to look into the whole system of party funding.
Today Norman Lamb MP, chief of staff to Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell, said: "Whatever the final outcome of the investigation, this sorry episode underlines the vital importance of reforming both the House of Lords and rules relating to party funding.
"For as long as parties are allowed to accept very large donations from donors and retain the ability to award seats in the House of Lords, it will be impossible to restore public confidence in our political system."
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