Police quiz Blair a second time
Tony Blair has been questioned by police investigating the cash-for-honours affair for the second time, Downing Street revealed today.
He was interviewed at No 10 last Friday as a witness, not under caution, the prime minister’s official spokesman confirmed. It is not thought that a lawyer was present.
The Metropolitan police said Mr Blair had been interviewed briefly to “clarify points emerging from the ongoing investigation”. A spokesman added: “We requested the meeting was kept confidential for operational reasons.”
Last December, the prime minister was interviewed – also as a witness – in a session lasting two hours. Last week’s interview lasted under an hour, his spokesman said.
The questioning took place four days before Lord Levy, Mr Blair’s personal envoy to the Middle East and his chief fundraiser, was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice on Tuesday.
It was the second time the peer had been arrested by police investigating allegations that political parties offered wealthy businessmen peerages in return for secret loans.
The prime minister’s director of government relations, Ruth Turner, has also been arrested on suspicion of the sale of honours and of perverting the course of justice. No charges have been brought and both she and Lord Levy deny any wrongdoing, as does everyone else involved in the affair.
Mr Blair made the history books when he became the first serving British prime minister to be questioned by police, and today’s news sent shock waves around Westminster.
Conservative leader David Cameron said: “It’s obviously a serious matter when a serving prime minister is interviewed twice by police but I think we must wait for the outcome of the inquiry and that’s certainly what I’m going to be doing.”
Angus MacNeil, the Scottish nationalist MP whose complaint prompted the police investigation, told BBC News 24: “It certainly doesn’t look good for Downing Street.
“When the prime minister was questioned the first time there was sort of a real earth tremor that went through politics because this was the first time a serving prime minister was questioned by police. Now we have a second time.”
Ed Davey, chief of staff to Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell, said: “It is clear that this inquiry is going to haunt Tony Blair throughout his last months in office and beyond.”
Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru in parliament, told BBC News 24 that the “net now is closing in” and warned the prime minister’s position was becoming “untenable”.
He added: “Whatever happens it has damaged Tony Blair and I’m afraid it will be part of Tony Blair’s legacy come what may.”
Foreign secretary Margaret Beckett refused to comment on the issue during a press conference, saying only that ministers were “getting accustomed to the excessive focus on the issues that you raise and accustomed to getting on with the job of government”.
Questions are being raised about why the media was not told about the interview sooner. Downing Street confirmed the police had asked them to keep the news “utterly confidential”, which was why the press department had not been told until yesterday.
Reporters ask the prime minister’s spokesman every day whether Mr Blair has been questioned further, and all this week he has confirmed the situation had not changed.
In a statement Downing Street said: “During the course of yesterday afternoon the police contacted Downing Street to inform us that the requirement for confidentiality had been lifted. We are therefore informing you at the first appropriate moment.”
