Blair, Ashdown Join Hands Over Sleaze
Tony Blair and Paddy Ashdown on Tuesday joined forces to demand a public judicial inquiry into the "cash for questions'' affair. The Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders stepped up pressure on John Major to open up the affair to public scrutiny and to allow an investigation into claims that the government tried to cover up the matter. Both leaders believe the affair now goes well beyond the original allegation that Neil Hamilton, Tory MP for Tatton, tabled parliamentary questions in exchange for payments.
They argue that Sir Gordon Downey, parliamentary commissioner for standards, does not have the authority to widen his inquiry to take account of claims of a government cover-up. It is understood that Sir Gordon is reluctant to undertake such an investigation because it goes beyond the question of possible misconduct by an individual MP.
Both leaders have seen documents which claimed that in 1994 David Willetts, the paymaster general and then a government whip, discussed with a member of the now defunct members' interests committee options for its inquiry into the Hamilton affair. The options were either to drop investigations, pleading sub judice, or investigating quickly "exploiting the good Tory majority'' on the committee. The committee's Conservative chairman, Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith, has admitted speaking with Willetts, but denied being pressured or influenced by him.
"The document suggests political interference in a committee which had a quasi judicial role,'' Ashdown and Blair wrote.
Financial Times
It would be clearly wrong to ask Sir Gordon to investigate a matter relating to political interference."
We believe that the public interest demands a totally impartial inquiry which is seen to be independent.'' The party leaders want an inquiry, sitting in public, to be set up under the 1921 Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act, headed by a senior judge. Both leaders say they would readily amend the 300-year-old Bill of Rights, if necessary, to give the inquiry authority in a parliamentary matter. This is the first time Mr Blair and Mr Ashdown have worked so closely together on a single issue. Both camps said the joint letter was a sign that the two leaders took the affair ''very seriously indeed''. The move will maintain pressure on Mr Major on the question of sleaze, and help to keep the controversy surrounding Mr Hamilton alive during the Tory party conference. A senior Conservative official last night described the move as ''a stunt''.