Lord Levy quits
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 12:00 AM
Lord Levy, the prime minister's envoy to the Middle East, has announced he will leave office with Tony Blair in June.
Lord Levy has been leading a tenuous existence in Westminster since the cash-for-honours affair broke in 2006.
He was arrested on suspicion of infringing honours and election laws in July last year, and then again recently on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering the 216-page police report.
But in a statement released last night, Lord Levy claimed to be leaving due to the way his appointment was personally linked to Tony Blair.
The resignation "has always been anticipated and is not different to many other similar positions," he said, adding that he was "deeply honoured and privileged" to have served his country.
The manner in which Lord Levy was appointed caused controversy well before he was embroiled in the cash-for-honours scandal. As Tony Blair's tennis partner, his appointment by the prime minister led to claims of cronyism.
"There was never any question that Lord Levy would go with his master. They worked so closely together and so many things were inseparable," said Edward Davey, Ming Campbell's chief of staff.
"With Lord Levy gone, the challenge will be for Gordon Brown to clean up the mess left by the cash-for-peerages scandal and restore the public's faith in the political process."
The announcement was immediately followed by calls for incoming prime minister Gordon Brown not to reappoint a Middle East envoy when he attains power. The position is entirely unofficial.
There was considerable disquiet over Lord Levy's appointment among ministers. His status as a major donor to the Labour Friends of Israel group led many observers to question his impartiality.
But Downing Street praised the peer, saying the prime minister "believes, and has always said, that Lord Levy has done an excellent job as his personal envoy".
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