by Stephen Quigley

Created on: March 04, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

Cash for Honours

Tony Blair's decision to stay in office until the summer is damaging
the Labour party. The cash for honours scandal and investigation will ruin his last few months in office. The questioning by police, the arrest and questioning of Ruth Turner, Sir Christopher Evans and Lord Levy and the problems with the Home Office are eroding his legacy day by day.

The investigation is focusing on the possibility that evidence of a list of peers to receive cash for honours existed and if it did exist, whether it was concealed. Money has always been tied up with politics and most parties have done favours for their wealthy supporters or have spent taxpayer's money on something that they should not have. Many Labour aides feel that the investigation is unnecessary but a democratic country has the right to investigate scandals.
The questioning and investigation has the potential to destabilise the government without any guilt being proven. There was a strong feeling that while Blair may have been led astray by Bush in Iraq but there was no question of him being led astray on the cash honours. The idea that Blair threw his support behind Bush in Iraq because he thought it was the right thing to do worked for that particular situation. His supporters in the war argued that he did the right thing based on his powerful convictions and the majority of his opponents in the case for war argued that he was wrong but he is still a man of principle and integrity. The same cannot be said for the cash for honours scandal. This was a betrayal of trust by granting peerages, titles and honours to wealthy people. This is against core Labour principles and against the idea of a man guided by decency and morals. A police investigation is going close to achieving what parliamentary rebellion could not do. Cabinet ministers are already discussing the option where the National Executive Committee would set a timetable for his departure or an option where Blair and Brown could discuss giving a public announcement on a definite departure date. A parliamentary vote of no confidence may not work because this would rally support around Blair. A Labour led uprising could do the same. Gordon Brown is in a difficult position. If Blair leaves now, Brown could get the blame for being seen as having forced out the Prime Minister or having left him no option but to resign. Many also feel that Blair has earned the right to clear his name before he leaves office and that should not go just because he is being pushed. Brown may be remembered for doing the pushing if he is not careful. If Blair leaves now, poor results or a loss of seats in May could be blamed on Brown too. Mr. Blair has mentioned the seats that Labour have a small grip on like Harlow, Swindon, Hastings and Dorset South. These are the seats that they could lose if the scandal continues and if Blair stays. Blair has recently been concentrating on climate change, counter-terrorism and Northern Ireland in recent weeks. These were items that could have been his legacy.
Blair feels that there is no way that the Labour party will get him to leave under current rules but this should not be the point. If he stays on until May, Labour may lose the election in May or suffer big losses due in part to this scandal. Leaving office now would be seen as an admission of guilt but it would be saving the party from a possible defeat.
There is no evidence of wrong-doing at present and there may not be anything proved. An innocent man should be allowed to get on with his job but, in this case, Tony Blair staying on in power will affect his party even if he is cleared. It is in the Labour party's interest that he sets a date to go before the summer.

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