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70 comments:
Surely, Goldsmith has some( hovever small) self respect. What is in it for him? He is already a peer. Unless he wants a Dukedom.
If I were Goldsmith I'd hang Blair out to dry; he must have some self-respect, and it'd be a final chance to achieve something.
After all, it was Blair who made him look a prize twat over Iraq, when he could have been earning so much more at the Bar...
Oh, yes please!
A consummation most devoutly to be wished.
Every night I kneel at the side of my little truckle bed, teddy bear tucked under my arm, and in a winning lisp:
"Listen, you. If there's any devine justice in the world you'll make sure that that lying, corrupt, megalomanic shit spends the next ten years crying his heart out in the communal showers as big nasty men perpetrate unspeakable depravities on his ravaged body. Amen."
I'm sure the Bar Council help Goldsmith step aside whilst the rest step inside.
When charges are brought Nick Robinson should be forced to resign from the BBC
His repeated following of the downing street official spin line has got beyond a joke
I am so glad that it's going this way, I pray for the day when I hear the news that Blair & Co have been arrested. Oh the joy it will bring to over taxed ears.
The champage is on ice awaiting the great news. If there is a god, he certainly believes in irony...a "whiter than white" PM laid low by corruption allegations involving bungs to buy rich men places in an institution that the Labour party detests and would seek (if allowed) at abolish. It is the same as a Tory leader taking bribes to place rich men in the TUC
Blair's toast anyway. The name of the game is to make sure Brown comes up smelling of roses.
The BBC reports that "according to the Evening Standard, Director of Public Prosecutions Ken MacDonald has said he will resign if Lord Goldsmith blocks any charges... At the weekend, Lord Goldsmith refused to rule out playing a role in any cash-for-honours decisions... He received his peerage from Mr Blair in 1999, and had reportedly donated money to the Labour Party before that."
Is it time to dust off your copy of Erskine May? Parliamentary Practice 19th ed p66 or http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/notes/snpc-02666.pdf for a full explanation...
Once a lordly bagman sat by his tennis court
Under the shade of the patronage tree
And he sang as he watched and waited for the nouveaux riches
“Who’ll buy a peerage? Apply now to me!
Chorus
Who’ll buy a peerage? Who’ll buy a peerage?
Who’ll buy a peerage? Apply now to me!”
And he sang as he watched and waited for the nouveaux riches
“Who’ll buy a peerage? Apply now to me!”
Down came a punter to buy himself a baronet
Up jumped the bagman and fleeced him with glee
And he sang as he shoved the moolah in his money-bag
“Tennis with Tony, and lunch with Cherie!”
Chorus Tennis with Tony! etc
Up rode Inspector Yates mounted on his motorbike
Down came the coppers one, two, three
“What’s all that dosh you’ve been shoving in your money-bag?
You’re coming down to the station with me!”
Chorus Down to the station! etc
Up jumped the bagman and made a call to Number 10
“If I go down, I will take you with me!”
And his boast may be heard as you pass by that tennis court
“Who’ll buy a peerage? Apply now to me!”
Chorus Who’ll buy a peerage? etc
'Downing Street are shitting themselves.' So are my kids. It's that twat Jamie Oliver and all his roughage.
Top job.
I think after 9 years of pain from Blair, Brown will only be to happy to see Blair in the Clink, especially as he seems to be clear of the aftermath....he will probably see this as lancing a poisoned boil on the bum of the Labour party...one that would continue to dog him if he becomes PM
If Blair gets sent down I will immediately commit a crime and get sent to the same prison, get friendly with him then ass ram the life out of him just to see the look on his face in the shaving mirror.
Probably make him scream
"Emily loves it, Emily loves it" in a girls voice
whilst I impale him on my huge schlong.
Fortunately I am a large man with a hairy back so ideal really.
Ah, Is that why he was so tetchy at his press conference? It was one of his more entertaining performances, shit one-liners not withstanding.
Good work- Blair should do the honourable thing along with Goldsmith before Saturday- so we do not have to watch the stomach wrenching spectacle of Blair leading the Nation's mourning. Both Blair and Goldsmith's barristers lost the day, with the Court of Appeal allowing the families of dead servicemen to proceed with their action against the Government, for an inquiry into the legality of the war, Goldsmiths flip flop advice.
No wonder he was getting ratty at the press confrence this morning and looks like he has not slept for weeks.
As Anonymous says Brown will come up smelling of roses. But...hang on. Brown is the big beast in NuLab. Can anyone seriously propose (NuLab spin aside) that Brown knew nothing? Where did he think the money had come from for the election campaign? Did he ever check out NuLabs books? Does anyone know of any Brown links to Derek Tullet, Barry Townsley, Sir David Gerrard or Andrew Rosenfeld? I think we should know. Is there a dirty secret in NuLab that Brown had a hand in Cash for Peerages??? Blair is just the fall guy ?
forgot to mention.. Gordon Brown ran the last election campaign. Never wondered about the money? Perhaps he though Tony won it in the lottery
Goldsmith is a massive Blair fan. He will hang-on in the process as long as he can. It will need real media pressure to get him to stand aside if he knows that he is the last thing between Tony and a short trip with Yates to Victoria Street.
Will need lots of political and media pressure to make this happen.
Nick Drew
A word of appreciation for your Matilda. You seem just the sort to take up residence at Scotton Pinkney.
why should Broon worry about where the money comes from, he just spends it....haven't you not looked at your pay slip recently....(how very PAYE!!)
Why are they confining the enquiries to Cash for Peerages? What about cash for jobs? And, in Ken Livingstone's case, Cash for Planning Permission?
RE: Brown in the brown stuff.
Given the fact that Gordon got his fingers burnt over the Eccleston million pound donation etc. and could/should have come a massive cropper over it, I'd expect that he has spent the last few years making damn sure he knows absolutely nothing about party donations.
What about the Tory donations / loans...?
This is Tory wishful thinking. Guido, there is not a chance in hell that any evidence whatsoever will be found to prosecute Blair under an archaic 1922 Act that has only been used once. For starters, it would have to be proved that the Prime Minister gave a knighthood on the basis of a donation (v. hard to prove) and furthermore this type of case, an apparent enoblement for a donation to a party (not for an individual) has never been tried before in a court. Too many ifs and buts: and this doesn't even include the Tories who did exactly the same under their tenure in Downing Street.
Its not wishful thinking, part of the Courts' function is to test the evidence, not run away cos it hasn't been done before
It is about peerages not knighthoods. And they are looking at more than the 1925 Act.
This is Tory wishful thinking.
He may or may not be convicted, but if there's a prima facie case he should be tried.
Well Guido, so far so good. How many times have people told you the Blair prosecution is a delusion. You've stuck to your instincts, and let's hope you are going to totally vindicated. In terms of symbolism, the Met missed a chance to bag Blair the same day Saddam went down, but hey, we can't have everything!
Guido if any Labour politician or member of administration are charged in relation to cash for honours, a case of the finest Cuvee Richard will be despatched to you forthwith. Cheap at the price.
Speaking sensibly for once in my life, surely it's even in Tony's best interests for Goldsmith to stand aside.
For the sake of argument, let's assume that Yates hasn't found a smoking gun in TB's sock drawer and any reasonable man would say that there was insufficient evidence to charge him.
Now say that the reasonable man is Tony's boyhood chum and recipient of serious patronage from his old mate. There would always be questions as to whether Tony was really innocent or whether his chum did him a favour.
For a PM so patently obsessed with his legacy I doubt Tony would allow what little remains o be tarnished by such doubts.
Anyone care to wager on Goldilocks making some announcement retracting his earlier statements?
Could Brown do a Gerald Ford and exonerate a Tony 'Nixon' Blair? Surely there's a dirty deal to be done...
No. That is the Queen's prerogative.
Cuvee Richard, he was big in the 60's I think...
Look Guido, I do admire your tenacity on this one and of course you are right to pursue this in principle.
But the stakes are historically high for all concerned with the reputation of the country on the line.
Get ready to have your balls squeezed if you dare to go in deeper!
Hedgy that was Little Richard a sort of robust Pinot Noir.
Goldsmith will not officially advise Blair. He will of course pop in for a chat on the sofa from which the slimeball twat Blair 'runs' the country. Seeing Blair has no patronage left in the tank, some up and coming combo of cop and prosecutor may be motivated to make their name by nailing him. But its a long a twisty road. Brown's hidden hand may yet save the day.
migsuk says:
Apologies for my post being riddled with obvious errors earlier - stress of job and all that.
It just ain't going to happen. It will only be oral evidence, there isn't a chance in hell that anything will have been recorded. Oral evidence against the Prime Minister - I'm sorry, but no preceedent for this is available.
Who is going to testify in Court against the Prime Minister? And if no one will, then what evidence will the CPS or MET use? And where does PASC fit into all this - if, and maybe they do, have sensitive information, would it really be anything that would implicate the PM? It will be actors around the PM, but no one too close.
If the PM did solicit donations for peerages this is obviously deeply unethical - and illegal under the 1925 Act. But has anyone here read the Act? I can't remember the wording exactly, but I am not sure if the evidence required will fit the definition (from my appalling memory).
Goldsmith should be reminded
"Where a public officer is guilty of misbehaviour in office by neglecting a duty imposed upon him either at common law or by statute, he commits a misdemeanour and is liable to indictment unless another remedy is substituted by statute. The liability exists whether he is a common law or a statutory officer; and a person holding an office of important trust and of consequence to the public, under letters patent or derivatively from such authority, is liable to indictment for not faithfully discharging the office."
In relation to offences created by the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices
Act 1889 and the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, the burden of proof is shifted on
to the defendant to show (on the balance of probabilities) that the money, gift, or other
consideration is not received corruptly. This shift in burden of proof is provided by
section 2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1916.
Sorry if I didn't make myself clear, Guido, but 'exonerate' was a euphemism for 'sideline the inquiry until after I have gone'.
The apparent temporary promotion of Yates of the Yard may have an explanation...Blair of the Yard does not want to get involved.
I am doubtful that Bliar himself will end up in the dock but confident that his closest confidantes will. This will be devastating enough in terms of "legacy". Bliar will be as discredited as Nixon was and his dreams of earning megabucks on the lecture and book circuit will be in shreds.
It is in Brown's interest that Bliar is fatally wounded, either by this or by Iraq. Otherwise, he would snipe from the sidelines throughout a Brown premiership.
I believe Scotland Yard have in their possession a pictureshowing Lord Levi carrying a sack of used tenners through the back garden of Number 10 while the Queen looks on, unamused.
Of course, if Blair were banged up for even only a couple of years, with THAT mortgage on the house and all, and with letterbox mouth no longer worth a bean on the lecture circuit, the journey from no 10 to homelessness could be short and sweet....
Where was all the money from the 'loans' put? into what acount? who signed the cheques? who authorised expenditures of 16million pounds? The Labour Party Treasurer denies all knowledge of these monies so who had them to spend and who spent them? There's an accounting problem here of giant proportions, never mind the honours for money aspect.
Hatfield you are probably correct, were did that money go to and which banks did it flow through (I bet we can guess)It wouldnt suprise me at all if some of the anti money laundering laws brought in wouldnt apply here.
No doubt if we had a real opposition we would get somewhere with this ,as all we have is a bunch of frightened rabbits and cycling no marks who also have their hands in the till dont count on anything being done.
God im angry.
Guido: 'Sir Ian Blair, our most politicised policeman has taken himself out of the decision making'.
Not quite. Remember his comment about Yates' 'temporary promotion'. You can reckon that he's keeping a pretty tight rein on this one. Goldsmith will, as always, do what he's instructed to do.
What are David Perry's credentials, who selected him, what are his terms of reference, who pays him and how much? Time for closer examination, I think.
The paper trail is there, as Hatfield Girl has noted. Yates will have his work cut out to smudge that evidence. No doubt he's up to it though.
But it's a pretty fragile house of cards, nonetheless. So the stage management is going to be quite difficult.
We've already heard Blair's defence.
He wants committed working peers and you can't get more committed than being prepared to give a £1,000,000 or so. He doesn't think that giving money should be a bar to ennoblement.
ML
We are looking for committed people
to become working peers, how committed are you?
A.N.Other
A million pounds?
ML
You're in.
I only hope the guy who wrote the Blunket Drama has been commissioned already.
You're all missing a major point about this. Remember Watergate, Jeffrey Archer, Aitken, Clinton etc. In any number of political scandals, it was not the original offence that did the damage - it was the subsequent attempt to cover it up.
Ian Blair and Ken Macdonald are distancing themselves from this whole affair, but I wonder whether they have done so out of a sense of duty, or simple self-preservation. They wisely want nothing to do with the squalid squirming that they see going on within the Labour Party. There is precious little loyalty in and around Labour these days - nobody trusts anyone and nobody knows if or how the Brown succession will pan out - it could get very messy with many scores to settle. Perhaps even Brown might decide to... no surely not, surely he's not that bitter?
Remember Jon (now Lord) Stevens comments about how untrustworthy Blunkett was? “Be wary of him — and never go to see him alone. Always take a witness.” Remember how Ian Blair was discovered making secret tape recordings of his conversations with ministers? Due to an understandable healthy sense of self-preservation perhaps? Anyone in Labour's inner circle that isn't secretly tape recording every conversation with their 'colleagues' needs his head examining - it might prove to be their "get out of jail free" card.
Why Goldsmith, or anyone, would want to risk anything for the sake of a soon-to-be gone Prime Minister is beyond me. Even the attorney general is not above the law, he would be insane to leave himself open to accusations of impropietry... or worse.
bw
Well I think sticking by your friends is a noble thing and shall be voting Labour.
I hear some of the cabinet are today in favour of hanging. We'd need a big arena - perhaps the first act at the new Wembley?
What a shame for Blair that LEvy's office burned down with all those papers in it.
At what point will that be dragged up by the rozzers/CPS as to why they cannot, literally, find any paper trail?
>>Surely, Goldsmith has some( hovever small) self respect.<<
ROTFLOL.
Isn't it a matter of tradition that former holders of Ian Blair's office get enobled? Shirley another good reason to keep his nose out of it, (unless he too has handed over a brown paper envelope stuffed with cash - most unlikely of course).
An enjoyable little read this blog tonight, but I fear I have the slightly better illustration today.
Guido will delete this
but they are all jews
work it out for yourselves.
Time to introduce lie detectors into judicial enquiries/parliamentary commities?
You are a fool who REALLY has no idea about the real power of the state.
You'll find out soon enough though.
PH Nice ploy to get your 'all Jews' post published. But I don't get the point.
Time to introduce comment moderation for late night drinkers?
Remember Jon (now Lord) Stevens comments about how untrustworthy Blunkett was? “Be wary of him — and never go to see him alone. Always take a witness.”
Would that be the same prat who tried to strip an ex-Royatty Protection Officer of his pension and medals for writing a book about his police service, threatened another with arrest and imprisonment for doing the same, and then promptly wrote one himself?
Be they politicians, policeman, captains of industry, etc., they all become corrupt upon reaching a certain level of power.
If the police can get it past the CPS then you might as well not bother with the trial - because the CPS would only let the case through if it was indefensible.
No member of the government will be charged. No senior politician or civil servant will be charged.
Probably no staffer at number 10 will be charged.
It's possible that some minor figures will be charged.
The police are servants, not masters, and they will gently be reminded of this. The matter will fade away.
You're all forgetting this is England. We DO NOT do things this way. Fun and games are for the playgound.
Lance, is that you?
Anonymous 0905am. Really? You'd be interested to hear that in the City some of the analysts think that Blair and cronies are bang to rights and will get charged. They are currently evaluating the impact on UK equities and UK govies (government debt). I myself read the 1925 act which is very clear and thought at the time Blair and cronies have a big problem based on the evidence presented in the media.
You seem to prefer that the executive in untouchable. They are not above the law and I hope you are wrong. Imagine the explosion if it emerges as you suggest that the police are "gently reminded" i.e. leant on. Blair would be gone from No.10 before tea time and Labour would be dead ducks at the next election. I don't think it will fade away because Blair has too many enemies.
Anon at 0905am - you are correct in saying the Police are servants, not masters, - but you've failed to mention that the oath every Officer swears is to "well and truly serve Our Sovereign Lady the Queen".
No grubby politician gets a mention.
Plus, I don't doubt that much information is gained in the normal course of duty - they used to say that the drivers know everything - think what the Protection Officers must know.................
The Independent reports that in the wake of Ken McDonald's threat Golsmith is now 'letting it be known' that he will stand aside
Anonymous 0905am:
as Guido says it's not only the 1925 act, there's conspiracy (different burden of proof) and false accounting to consider.
If as you so quaintly put it 'a gentle reminder' were to have been heeded, that would have happened by now.
Remeber Blair interviewed under caution was considered heresy when this all kicked-off.
Going through the motions.
This will be covered in manure ten feet deep if they can get away with it.
And the odds are they will do a Hutton, what loans?, what peerages?, what problem?, what scams? and what was all that about.
> they are all jews
... so they are not the ones who will not be blamed? Are you Jack the Ripper?
I'd be more worried about the sheer number of Scots involved at such a high level. Or indeed - if you're looking for conspiracies - the number of lawyers.
And today we find out that Plod is interviewing Alan Milburn, and that Gordo has been asked to "put everything he knows in writing".
For Gordo to "put everything he knows in writing"...would not take too long.
I am sure he will be TOTALLY supportive of Blair. Pontius Pilate reborn with a Scots accent. Following Raith Rovers was never as good as this.
I am sure Yates will be drowned in spilt beans.
Thank god (irony is not lost when you are a humanist) for Angus Brendan MacNeil, the young but energetic MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles to the rest of you), for exposing the Emperor's new clothes.
Cash for peerages has been going on for decades under Labour and Tory PMs (and probably the Lib Dems too), yet you have all sat back and turned a blind eye. Well hell mend ye.
No wonder we want out of the Mother of all Parliaments, because frankly she is becoming the whore of all democracies!