From: Andrew Johnson
Date: 2006-11-05 00:30:16
We’ll just have to wait and see…. www.dailymail.co.uk/… Killer e-mail’ sends Blair into panic over cash for honours row 04/11/06 – News section Killer e-mail’ sends Blair into panic over cash for honours row By SIMON WALTERS, Mail on Sunday Tony Blair is in a blind panic over the looming threat of being arrested in the police inquiry into the cash-for-peerages scandal, Cabinet sources have revealed. A senior Minister said a ‘black cloud’ had descended over Downing Street at the growing realisation that the Prime Minister and his closest allies face the risk of being prosecuted over the affair. The change of mood came as it was claimed that police had obtained a No10 ‘killer e-mail’ which allegedly implicates Mr Blair’s close ally and chief fundraiser, Lord Levy. The e-mail, sent by Downing Street Chief of Staff Jonathan Powell, purportedly on the subject of honours, says: “ML (Michael Levy) will not be happy about this.” The suggestion is that the e-mail is the first piece of evidence that Lord Levy may have had a say in honours. Downing Street refused to comment on the e-mail. When questioned by police, Lord Levy said that while he raised millions of pounds from rich donors, he had no say in peerages. He says those decisions were taken by Mr Blair. In addition, The Mail on Sunday has been told that when he is questioned by police, Mr Blair intends to take legal advice from law firm Kingsley Napley, which helped Chilean dictator General Pinochet avoid extradition from the UK on torture charges. Senior Kingsley Napley lawyer Stephen Parkinson formerly worked for Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, and advised Mr Blair before he gave evidence to the Hutton Inquiry into the death of Ministry of Defence weapons expert Dr David Kelly. When the police investigation was first launched, some Ministers said the officers were merely going through the motions. They have been rocked at the persistence shown by the inquiry leader, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates. Sources close to Mr Yates say he has indicated he intends to interview Mr Blair under ‘criminal caution’ – which implies Mr Blair is being treated as a potential suspect. The threat has caused fear and fury in Downing Street. Mr Blair is now said to be ‘very worried’ that he could be implicated as a result of the vast quantity of evidence obtained by police. “No one took the inquiry very seriously at the outset, and no one thought the PM would be in any difficulties,’ said a senior Minister. “But as the weeks have gone by, the police have become more and more determined. “We don’t know what they have got, but the mood in No10 has changed. It doesn’t look good.” Mr Blair’s gloom is said to be shared by Lord Levy. A senior politician who spoke to him recently said: “He was in a bad way. It was like he was saying, “My life is in ruins, it is all so unfair.”‘ The inquiry was launched after it was revealed that four Labour donors who lent large sums to the party in unpublicised loans were subsequently nominated for peerages by Mr Blair last year. The Lords committee which vets peerage nominations then blocked them. The police have also interviewed Tory leaders over claims that they also effectively handed out peerages in return for donations. Mr Yates is said to be more confident than ever that he has firm evidence that proves the award of peerages is linked to donations. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/… Blair says no honours wrongdoing Former Labour deputy leader Lord Hattersley has called on Mr Blair to quit as prime minister in September. “Nobody in the Labour Party to my knowledge has sold honours or sold peerages,” Mr Blair said. “The fact that is sometimes excluded from the public’s mind in relation to this debate is that there are places in the House of Lords that are reserved for party nominees for their party supporters. I’ve made it clear all the way through, I’ll carry on doing the job Tony Blair “These are not honours, they are working peerages reserved for party supporters, Conservative supporters, Labour supporters, Liberal Democrat supporters.” Mr Blair refused to speak directly about the arrest of his ally, Labour’s chief fundraiser Lord Levy, in the ongoing police investigation into cash-for-honours allegations. It is alleged that four Labour backers who lent money to the party before the last election were later nominated for peerages. Mr Blair said: “Perception is a real problem and obviously one of the biggest worries in this is that whilst the police inquiry goes on, effectively everyone gets tried in the media, which is not always the most objective and impartial on these issues”. But he added: “Of course we have had people that have got themselves into difficulties and ministers being dismissed and we’ve had huge problems obviously on this front.” The prime minister said the rules over party funding might have to be changed, with the possibility that taxpayers could be asked to contribute. I think the whole body politic should be embarrassed by the fact these police inquiries have taken place William Hague Shadow foreign secretary Former prime minister John Major said the allegations facing the government were worse than those made against his party when he was in power. He said: “The question of sleaze and mud was originally invented by the Labour Party, who threw it at the Conservative Party to damage us politically. “What goes around comes around and they are now suffering from that themselves.” Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: “I think the whole body politic should be embarrassed by the fact these police inquiries have taken place.” Mr Blair defended Mr Prescott over the deputy PM’s contacts with American billionaire Philip Anschutz who wants to create a “super casino” at the Millennium Dome. Mr Prescott had previously not declared that he stayed at Mr Anschutz’s ranch during a trip to the US last year. “Has anybody got any actual evidence that John has interfered in this process in an improper way?” said Mr Blair. “I haven’t seen any. I mean I’ve seen hoards of newspaper allegations about something to do with cowboy boots and some belt or something.” Mr Blair, who is currently at the G8 summit in St Petersburg, was asked if he would still be prime minister when the G8 summit comes round again next summer. “I’ve made it clear all the way through, I’ll carry on doing the job,” he said. “And so I look forward to next year’s G8 of course, but in the end the most important thing is to do the job.”
