91Èȱ¬

I am seriously beginning to wonder if Inspector Knacker might call the Prime Minister in for questioning. In many ways, it's difficult to see how they could do a complete investigation without speaking to him.

I was intrigued to see that the prime minister's 'official spokesperson' opined that this was a party affair and he would not comment further. Refresh my memory - who is the head of the Labour Party? It looks more and more like Phony Blur should have a sign on his desk saying - in every sense - "the buck stops here". But, as an expert buck passer, he could probably escape by saying that it is either time to draw a line and move on, or that David Cameron has no policies, or that the arrangements for managing the country during his absence will be the same as in previous years, and that regeneration round the Dome is A Good Thing anyway. I sometimes find myself wondering whether Blair should have been the new 007 - the plot would merely say "With a single bound he was free".

Who was it once said "whiter than white, purer than pure"? Who was it who once said "I am a pretty straight sort of guy"?

Chickens have a habit of coming home to roost and it is better not to create too many hostages to fortune. I hope David Cameron has more sense than to make prissy soundbites to come back to haunt him.

Seems as though Blair, Labour and "the project" are as dead in the water as is one John Prescott.

" . . .those more interested in ending the Blair era than in bringing Michael Levy low . . ."
Now honestly Nick, doesn't that include you?

He's not been charged let alone found guilty. Detractors of Blair will be quick to jump on this but political commentators and those without a pre-determined view would do better to wait for the outcome of the case before unleashing their pent up hyperbole.

Will we come to remember where we were, and what we were doing the day we heard of Lord Levy's arrest? and will it mark the end of the Blair era?

If Levy is charged and this goes inside 10 Downing Street, surely it has to be the end for Tony Blair. There's no way that even he, political levitationer though he has proved in the past, could hang on before and during a long drawn-out trial, is there?

he managed Alvin Stardust? Arrest him for crimes a gainst music.

Come on Nick you are going to have to get a grip of this news versus blog thing - Guido and Iain are miles out in front and have massive support.

I don't thing the blog things works for you or the 91Èȱ¬ your always looking like catch up - do you really want to do it - you would get more respect if you left it alone.

You need to take a higher stance - it just leaves you miles wide open to flack.

Keep your integrity and stand apart from the bloggers.

Well Nick, way back in March the blogger Mr Fawkes was predicting this would happen while you were telling us the police would go through the motions and nothing would come of it. Twice in one week he has trumped you!

I'm genuinely mystified by this latest twist.I thought the police were investigating 'cash for honours' -not'cash for Labour honours'.
1.Have the Tories nothing to answer-that's unbelievable.
2.Are the media only interested in Labour 'scandals'-that's possible.
3.Are the police deliberately zoning their enquiry-that's serious.
Enlightenment,please,Nick.

Nick, did you not say a few days ago you had been informed it would take weeks or months for something major to happen?

What happened? Did your source get it wrong or was it a Labour apparatchick spinning lies?

Whatever the rights or wrongs of the current issue, the impression is given that certain people are trying to maintain a steady craft by jumping up & down on the gunwhales.
Why is it that the bluster & front of some political animals turns to 'fluster & brunt' in attempts to distance themselves from the whiff of scandal?

This is a slippery slope for Blair. We all remember the sleaze allegations of the the last Tory Government and quite frankly, mud sticks. We had probably 4 years of very bad press for the Tory party until they got hammered in the 1997 election. John Major was trying to say to the public "look at our record...the economy is great ...etc" but the public wouldn't buy it. I fear Mr Blair is going to fall at the same hurdle. When will they learn that the public want common sense, straight talking, honest politics. Mr Blair, Mr Brown move aside and let some new blood in before it's too late.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Is there no person in this government uncorrupted by having less than 40% of the vote, and 55% of representation.

Only proportional representation will give us back a government we can trust, and remove when they philander....

Whats worse the previous conservative government, or this labour government....

This one, as they claimed they would get rid of sleaze, it seems they could not even live up to this pledge.

Nick

Levy has not been charged.

I still assumed that the presumption of innocence was a basic premise of the English legal system.

Until he has been convicted, I suggest that commentators should be careful.

Hidden agendas of politicos and the media may come unstuck.

Total hype by the media as usual over this.
Lord Levy has not been charged with anything.
As usual the media, which is out to do down the Labour government,is blowing this whole thing out of proportion.

1-0 to Guido & Iain Dale on this one Nick!

follow the money nick

perhaps you shouldn't have been so chummy with em.

Perhaps the bbc political reporters should start leaving the ship.

Tick, tick, tick.

Only in Great Britain could the process of removing a priminister be so elaborate, or boring, get on with it!

Come on Nick, this will slide off Teflon Tony like everything else. But get ready to watch Tony on some TV interview getting irritated that we dare to question him. He's too busy leading us all to the promised land to deal with these trifles you know.

At last ,the Met is making some progress.As you know Nick there are many within the blogging community (esp Guido Fawkes)who have been pursuing this story for months.At last the 91Èȱ¬ is starting to take it seriously.

I voted at the last conference for a hike in membership fees on the well-argued basis that we should pay our own way as a party and not be in hoc to big donors like we so often claim the Tories are. The revelations of "cash for peerages" really sticks in my craw. People of the country may feel disillusioned that Labour is not listening but it is almost worse for those of us in the party who are members because we thought we had something to offer to the policy process. The "little people" at the bottom are being forgotten and this is translating through to the electorate. Levy's arrest and subsequent bailing, whilst not indicating any guilt, certainly comes as little suprise to most of us. We sit in dusty halls questioning policy, debating issues and trying to make this country a better place only to look up and see our Govt representatives and party chiefs chasing the wealth of people only interested in themselves.

If the traditional government in this country is bedded on ‘checks & balances’, perhaps some politicians & apparatchiks misread this as ‘cheques & balances’? Easily done, especially when the constitution is such an archaic conglomerate.
Some will say, far better to ignore convention & go straight for the new way of doing things; precedence & convention are such stuffy ways to proceed. If we make the laws, surely they are meant to apply to others?

Until today, I have always felt that the impartiality of the 91Èȱ¬'s political journalism was unimpeachable. But I feel your report today, Nick, on Lord Levy, and in particular its implied attack on the integrity of the Prime Minister, seriously overstepped the mark. First, Levy's arrest does mean he is guilty, as I feel that the tone of your report implies. The principle of assumed innocence now seems to have died in the cause of spiced spin. The matter may soon become sub-judice, and it is your duty not to jeopardise a fair trial by engendering an atmosphere of guilt in advance that could prejudice a jury. Secondly, I believe that with regard to the Prime Minister you imply guilt by association with Levy. Playing tennis is not crime, no matter what the crimes that may have been committed by the person on the other side of the net. You may have evidence of his guilt that you cannot yet reveal, but surely it is wrong to erode others impression of someone's integrity without being able to substantiate that position. I have no links to the Labour Party or the government, but rather a great interest in sustaining the integrity, impartiality and credibility of 91Èȱ¬ journalism

Is it me Nick or are you and the Beeb editors finally creeping out from under that post Hutton quilt you've been under? run with it, you owe it to the institution and the fee payer.

What a country! for the last 1000 yrs the honours system in the UK has in the main been used as a pay off for those who have helped our political masters in some way or other. Why when the link is made more explicit should we be concerned or shocked. Levy is simply the can rattler at the door providing the conduit for the rich & powerfull to indulge themselves with a new toy when they have become tired of the usual trappings of wealth and privilege such as cars,yachts,planes and trophy wives. If we were really interested in stopping the abuse we would get rid of the system. Wasn't this the party that was going to abolish the Lords? What a laugh!

There is so much being revealed and then spun against, the war of words seems full scale and open. This is not a good state for any Government. Why don't these supposedly clever people understand it? These are not good times - we have to be aware of it. A confident of the PM has been arrested but not charged. This was not supposed to happen. Transparent, whiter than white. Whose words? Eat them and feel the indigetion.

Lord Levy is certainly innocent unless charged and proved guilty in court. But he's in the unfortunate position of being released on bail - not discharged without a stain on his character. That may happen, but it's not happened yet.

At the moment it looks as if Tony Blair crash is about to crash in flames - the most spectacular prime ministerial fall in modern history. Worse than Neville Chamberlain - at least he was trying a stop a world war. Worse than Anthony Eden, who resigned after the Suez fiasco. At least he had a good military record in the First World War and was a distinguished Foreign Secretary before he became prime minister. What is Blair's legacy? - the Iraq war, which has stirred up the whole of the Muslim world against us, and mega sleaze which he promised to eliminate from public life. People have called Blair Labour's most successful prime minister. But he's only been good at winning elections and political manoeuvring. When it comes to policies he's been a disaster. It's time for Blair to go.

who are Iain and Guido?

I am amazed at politicians' comments that arrest was unnecessary. Under PACE the police must arrest a suspect before questioning them if they believe they may have committed an arrestable offence. To suggest the arrest was politically motivated is daft, the police are merely ensuring they follow the appropriate procedure.

I predict that this inquiry wil lead to blair (and Prescotts) resignation by the tim eof the party conference.Theres only so much Labour MPS and Gordon Brown can take surely.

So the media are out to get Labour over the Lord Levy business? Remember ten years ago New Labour would leave no stone unturned to get the media (especially Murdoch) on side and hammer the sleaze-ridden Tory government. What goes around comes around. Chickens are coming home to roost.

Hi Nick
at last the can of worms has opened and well done to the police for taking action at last but I wonder if its the PM's namesake taking revenge.
Now watch the spin machine "spread the dung" and we will no doubt hear "it was the Tories who taught us how to do it arrest them as well!"
Yet again politics are brought down to the gutter level a shame on the political establishment.
PS who are the "Anoraks" who have posted "my site is better than yours!

Anybody else getting bored by these ad hominem attacks any time Nick posts anything?

'Guido this... Iain that... ...'

Seriously - unless you actually want to engage with actual issues what's the point in posting?

Does anyone think the police will get around to looking at outsourcing and political donations?

Will the rules be tightened on Blind Trusts?

'Follow the money' is always good advice.

>though it must be stressed he has not yet
>been charged

Why? What difference would that make?

The stress is whether he's been convicted of anything...although as your blog suggests that's pretty much immaterial to the people that supposedly make the laws, they'll hope the mere idea is enough.

OTOH, reports that the policeman that arrested Levy has been called to Westminister [does every complaint that an arrest was "unnecessary" get treated that way?] and the suggestions that Tony Blair will get special treatment if he's questioned are abhorrent. Both, if true, are more than enough to disband the Government for corruption.

Will some tell the clown B A Powell that Labour IS in government - hence the police are focussing on them!

I hope this does spell the end of Tony Blair's political career. After ignoring public opinion leading up to the fuel crisis back in 2000 and then the Iraq war (which was frankly, disgusting) he does not deserve to dictate when he'll leave. He's trying to choreograph leaving on a high. But he is too wrapped up in his own ego to realise he will never have another high.

If from this process the main political parties obtain public funding and nothing from the outside, then perhaps we could also have a better government system - such as straight four year terms of office, with Elections held every four years in May.
ALSO - What about having proper televised debates, so the PM can't duck away unlike the usual nonsense we have at PMQs. If the parties do want public funding, then this will mean more public accountability!

It is simply a case of our 24 media culture exposing more and more unsavoury actions by our government; things that have gone on since the dawn of time. All our governments have done business in a certain way, and this has always involved 'rewarding' loyal 'supporters'. This current campaign to uncover 'sleaze' is a modern developement...our so called 'great leaders' did far worse, and it is often joked about. But they did what they had to do to get the job done.

Ultimately, power corrupts...and you need to be corrupt to keep it.

Fair's fair, everyone: get off Nick's case would you! Independent bloggers can (and do) say whatever they like and will usually get away with it. They are able to pursue their own political agenda, on the whole, with impugnity. This is the 91Èȱ¬ we're talking about here, and they have to remain impartial, report the fact, not the rumours, and give a balanced and thorough report of these. Which they are doing.

"We sit in dusty halls questioning policy, debating issues and trying to make this country a better place only to look up and see our Govt representatives and party chiefs chasing the wealth of people only interested in themselves." Jay

Jay's right, however, he's omitted one crucial factor fueling the anger and collective disgust of electorate and Labour Party supporters. The New Labour Government aren't simply chasing the wealth of of the rich and greedy, they've become the rich and greedy.

Their costly freebies and perks, inflated pensions, early retirement packages, salaries, pay rises and expenses, the unjustified housing expense claims of some, all this forms a scandalous contrast with the bankruptcy of our NHS, system of care for eldery and vulnerable, pension system, local authorities and so many other public services. To cap it all, we're told we must soon work until we're elderly in order to qualify for our miserly State pension.

We listen to Mr Blair regurgitate the same old, self congratulatory social justice speech he makes every week at PMQ's and it sticks in our collective craw like the bones of a fish that's rotted from the head down.

Brian Henderson's post is right on. Because we don't have proportianal representation, the only way we can dislodge an (allegedly) corrupt majority government elected by a minority is via media revelation, followed by police action and potentially prosecution. What a system! The usual argument against PR and against minority government is that the government's hands are tied. Surely that is just the point. If the government's hands had been tied, we would not have seen the erosion of our civil liberties now enshrined in the laws passed by this government. PR forces compromise and balance, which counter unilateralism and extremism of all sorts.

Can't Nick Robinson ever just analyse the situation instead of posing simplistic rhetorical questions?

If lord levy has been arrested and is now under investigation, why hasn't he been suspended?
The Police think it's worth arresting him, as a tax-payer and voter I think it's worth suspending him until he's proved guilty or otherwise.

>Seriously - unless you actually want to
>engage with actual issues what's the point
>in posting?

Nevertheless you posted this which had nothing to do with issues. Are you after a job in Government?

Nick,

Surely this is all nonsense hype whipped up by the politically motivated blogs you mentioned - not by serious journalists. Surely then there is no story here, just as Prescott is a non story.

Blair promised to leave when his legacy was secure. Now it is - he will go down in history as a sleazebag.

Let's hope for once he delivers and he is "tough on cirme, tough on the causes of crime". Can't wait for the virals.

One trusts that, in common with anyone arrested, that Michael Levy has had a DNA sample taken, to be kept on the police DNA database in perpetuity?
Or does that only apply to real people?

Why should anyone face arrest for keeping the trade unions out of Downing Street

Fabius wrote:

"Hidden agendas of politicos and the media may come unstuck."

Agreed - except that the agendas are not particularly well hidden!

Lets just hope that this furore does not lead to public funding of political parties. The last thing I want is my taxes being wasted on various mp's blaming eachother for the state of the nation, while none of them actually offer us any solutions. Can anyone honestly tell me one of Camerons policies IN DETAIL?

Yes jpc (at 25), i'm also bored with the crowing mentions of Guido et al whenever Nick posts. Didn't we go through this argument at great length last week?

MPs are indignantly and indirectly pointing out that both major parties have long used the honours system to "help" reward donors - but stuck in their narrow world they're utterly missing the point. The public don't like it, it stinks.

Martin Stroud - I see what you're getting at, but is the outcome of this process to be that political parties will be funded publically?

I don't have a problem with politcal donations. They are part of the normal political process, provided they are genuine donations and declared as such.

This issue here, is whether they (and donations disguised as loans) were offered in return for peerages.

So did you gleen anything interesting from PMOs today Mr Robinson?

Did the lobby journalists go for the juggular of the PMs spokesman, or did you let him get away with no comment? We should be told, as you thought (wrongly) that this story would just go away.

Nick -

Could this be Mr Blair's very own 'Watergate'? When the first rumours started to circulate about the cash-for-honours scandal it seemed unlikely that it would end in the arrest of one of Blair's closest advisors, but here we are with not only the arrest of Levy, but now talk of the PM being interviewed by Police (and those of you who have long memories will know that Nixon's own downfall came as result of the arrest of some low level party goons).

As someone has already pointed out Blair already sits at the top of this paticular food chain and so for once he will be unable to pass the buck to some poor patsy who resigns 'for the good of the party' on Blair's behalf.

The press are not making a meal of this (for once) - this means real trouble - whether Levy actually is charged or not - and will simply increase the pressure that has been building since Blair's ill advised forays into Afghanistan and Iraq and making Bush such a close political ally.

Brown will almost try and make political capital out of all this - and the enemy within is laways more dangerous than those who wait outside.

Prediction: Blair will be on his way Dec-Jan.

"Tony and I are just like brothers."
Mmmm, Cain and Abel?

Sorry we keep going on about Guido JPC but journalism is about getting the news out there first. Guido and Iain do get stories out earlier. Case in point: last night at 10.30 Guido posted the Conservatives EPP backtrack way before the 91Èȱ¬ reported it. That's why they matter. Nick and his team need to take more risks and get the stories out there earlier or face irrelevance.

I would just like to make this observation.
Not only should the policy of disclosure be tightened up pre the giving of an honour,It should be made illegal,once ennobled or knighted for anyone so ennobled/knighted to give any money to a Political Party.
That would preclude the possiblilty of an honour been given in expectation of a donation(s)later.

If Levy is charged and convicted then Blair and anyone with him associated with this saga will fall, and fall hard.

Blair is desparate to bow out on a high, but that is unlikely to happen. Public service reforms are in a mess. The war on terror is a catastrophe. Personally Blair is now seen as a serial liar and sleazy to boot. History will not be kind to this Prime Minister.

The rights of suspects must not "outweigh" those of the "law-abiding majority".

So said Mr Blair a few weeks back.

I couldn't agree more.

Sory Nick, I don't get it. How does a blog like this help to move the debate on? Surely this blog is useless unless it provides further insight or persepctive on the story in question. This entry clearly doesn't.

I wonder if anyone has thought about the objectives of these 91Èȱ¬ blogs. At least the World Cup blogs were different to the News. This just feels like a man is contracted to make blog entries but doesn't actually have anything new or different to say.

I must admit I can't get excited about all this. Yes it might be dodgey or even illegal but there are many more things wrong with the world that this kind of activity.

In fact the only thing that really annoys me about this is that various politicians and newsmen are rubbing their hands with glee because they have another political gaff to last them until the next one.

Roll on the next "major threat" to the government, the country, the world when Prescott makes another balls up.

at last...A beeb journalist on ONE worth listening to.

Keep it up m8 - even when u r told 2 "tone it down a bit"!!

I think the time has come for Nick Robinson to take a good hard look at his position at the 91Èȱ¬. The whole tone of reporting since he took over from Andrew Marr has changed. There is a sneering, leading quality to Mr Robinson's reports, an ultra-cynical quality, an obvious feeling of strongly-held opinion beneath them. When summarising a political event, he typically suggests two ways of seeing the story (as if there are only two! as if we need to be told the options!), but he always ends on a breathlessly-delivered negative, especially when commenting on Mr Blair. Here is a Robinson-type construction: "For some, Mr Blair is the man who saved Labour from oblivion, but for many others, he is a cheat and a liar, the man who caused death and destruction in Iraq, and who brought integrity in British politics to a new low. Hugh, I leave it to the viewers to decide which is true." As for his blogging, the less we know about the views of the 91Èȱ¬'s political editor, the better. Paxman would never contaminate his neutrality with this sort of self-publicity.

But honours are given for helping your country without direct material reward. Three ways - physical bravery in the field, exceptional civil service, or contributing one's own wealth and power for national benefit. What is needed is a new perfectly open Order of National Contribution, or similar.

John Brewer wrote (Comment 72)

"Jounalism is about getting the news out there first."

Surely not! Anyone can report speculation and rumour quickly. Journalism *ought* to be far more than just that!

On the other hand, in the era of "rolling news" ... Maybe Mr Brewer is right after all?!

Could this be Blair's Watergate? asks one emailer. Maybe. Perhaps we should call this the Tonygate Affair.

One thing's for certain. Labour has troubles galore. At the height of WWI, when Germany was collapsing, the Nazi propaganda minister Dr Goebbels said, "We have a Fuhrer problem." The Great Leader had failed. That's Labour today. They have a Fuhrer problem. And the 91Èȱ¬ and other organisations are charting Mr Blair's downfall.

John Brewer is wrong when he urges speed and taking risks while reporting this collapse. "Journalism," he declares, "is getting the news out there first."

It's not.

It's getting your facts right. Back in the 1940s the 91Èȱ¬'s Director General told a correspondent, "I don't mind if you're not first with the news, but for heaven's sake be right." That's still good advice. I'm glad Nick and most of the 91Èȱ¬ news team follow it. Taking risks is not what 91Èȱ¬ news is about and normally it isn't. What we need is reliable information and informed comment.

So keep up the good work Nick! Don't be intimidated by those who have axes to grind and want to silence you.