Police to question Downing St officials
Police are considering re-interviewing several key Downing Street members of staff over the cash for honours scandal, it has emerged.
Letters have been written to some of Tony Blair’s top aides requesting further information.
The meetings are set to take place after Christmas, and those being questioned are being interviewed as witnesses and not suspects.
Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner John Yates, who is leading the inquiry, has been on record saying there are “gaps” in the evidence provided so far.
Last week Mr Blair was interviewed as a witness to the inquiry, becoming the first ever serving prime minister to be questioned by police as part of a criminal 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.
Those questioned include 35 members of the Labour party, 29 Conservatives, four Liberal Democrats and 22 others. All deny any wrongdoing.
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.
Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) who made the original police complaint about the handling of honours, said the letter proved the probe was serious.
“I think everybody in this country who wants to see politics cleaned up, who wants to see a situation where people do not buy their way into the legislature, will be extremely encouraged at the Metropolitan police conducting such a thorough-going inquiry,” he said.
“Remember almost six months ago, when my young colleague Angus McNeil raised this matter, people were laughing – all the old lags at Westminster said ‘oh no, the police’ll never stand up to Downing Street’. Well, they’re not laughing now.”
