| Biotech chief arrested in Blair honours probe (23/9/2006) | |
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1.Biotech chief held in honours probe - GM Watch 1.Biotech chief held in honours probe The arrest this week of Sir Christopher Evans, a leading figure in the biotechnology industry, as part of the police inquiry into cash for honours, is piling further pressure onto Britain's beleagured Prime Minister. (Biotech chief held in honours probe) And the latest developments make this even clearer. Everybody knows that Lord Levy, Tony Blair's chief fundraiser, taps the rich and powerful to give money to Labour. And it cannot have gone unnoticed among those donors that, somehow, a lot end up in the House of Lords. [80% of the money donated to Labour by individuals comes from people who've been honoured!] The fact that Lord Levy has now been twice interviewed by the police and that the police have taken away his computer and files shows how seriously the police are taking this. It is clear, following the arrest of Des Smith, a former government adviser to a Blair's pet project, city academies, and now Sir Christopher Evans, the head of one of the country's biggest biotech companies - another Blair passion - that detectives are leaving no avenue unexplored." (item 2) Among the avenues detectives certainly should be exploring is not just the question of whether donations can purchase honours but whether they can also purchase influence on government policy. After all, someone given a peerage is then in a position to be given a place at the heart of government. It is, after all, a singularly remarkable fact that 2 of Labour's top 3 individual financial donors are not only, like Sir Christopher, biotech entrepreneurs, but their donations also seem to coordinate closely with their first being granted peerages by Blair and then being welcomed as ministers into his government. Also meriting police attention is how extraordinarily well their own biotech companies or favoured biotech institutes happen to have done out of the Blair government. 2.On borrowed time? Obviously this is going to stay in the realm of fantasy but it is a real fact, that sooner or later, Blair is going to be questioned by police about the "cash for honours" scandal. More likely it will be in the decent privacy of Chequers or Downing Street, rather than under the glare of publicity, but it will happen. Since complaints were sent to the Metropolitan Police by two nationalist MPs, Angus MacNeil, and Elfyn Llwyd, a worrying picture of the state of politics in the UK has unravelled. When the two MPs originally complained, informed opinion in the Westminster bubble treated their complaints as a political stunt. They could not believe that Scotland Yard was taking it seriously. When the Yard did start to investigate it was seen as just going through the motions, a quick look at the complaints, and the inquiry would be over. Now, after 48 people have been interviewed, 13 under caution and three arrested, opinion is divided. There are still those who believe Scotland Yard has to be seen to conduct a proper inquiry (just as it has over the Diana's death to see off conspiracy theorists), but not a thing will come of it. They are increasingly in the minority, however. The majority is beginning to think there is something rotten about a political system where people who give or lend large sums to a political party somehow get honours or peerages. And the latest developments make this even clearer. Everybody knows that Lord Levy, Tony Blair's chief fundraiser, taps the rich and powerful to give money to Labour. And it cannot have gone unnoticed among those donors that, somehow, a lot end up in the House of Lords. The fact that Lord Levy has now been twice interviewed by the police and that the police have taken away his computer and files shows how seriously the police are taking this. It is clear, following the arrest of Des Smith, a former government adviser to a Blair's pet project, city academies, and now Sir Christopher Evans, the head of one of the country's biggest biotech companies - another Blair passion - that detectives are leaving no avenue unexplored. What will be the effect if they do recommend the unthinkable, and Lord Levy faces prosecution? Effectively it will be curtains for Blair. No PM could stay in office if his chief fundraiser is tainted by accusations of corruption. And that is how high the stakes are now. John Yates is known throughout the Met as an incorruptible copper who does not shy away from difficult decisions, as the case against Prince Charles's butler testifies. So it will [do] no good the PM offering him a peerage to put him off the scent. 3..Labour peers' cash for pro GMO influence in government - SNP While the main focus of Labour loans and donations has been on the peerages, Mr Gibson is becoming increasingly |
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