Police investigating the alleged cash-for-peerages (membership of the House of Lords) scandal have so far found no "compelling" evidence of serious wrongdoing, raising the likelihood that no charges will result from the high-profile Scotland Yard inquiry.
This reassurance comes from sources close to the investigation, who have knowledge of the two files of evidence the London Metropolitan Police has submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
"We have not seen anything compelling so far. There is no smoking gun, but that's not to say something might yet be found," a source said.
With the investigation entering its final phase, the prime minister is expected to be questioned by officers, with his chief of staff Jonathan Powell, in the next two weeks.
Although the Yard has yet to submit a final and third file of evidence into the allegations, police have so far not provided crown prosecutors with anything likely to result in charges.
This will come as a relief to donors, officials and senior politicians in both major parties who were threatened with involvement in potentially the most incendiary postwar political scandal.
Statements from donors and Lord Levy, Blair's personal fundraiser who was arrested last July, are understood to have provided no evidence that could lead to charges. Prosecutors have received material from Downing Street, but again nothing thought incriminating.
John Yates, the deputy assistant commissioner leading the probe into allegations that businessmen were illegally given peerages in return for party help with party funding, sent the first files to the CPS in the early summer.
The attorney general is being kept fully briefed on the evidence. Although the involvement of the government's most senior lawyer, a Cabinet member, in such a sensitive case will be seen as controversial, prosecuting sources see no problem.
"He will look at the case from a legal point of view. The attorney general has responsibility for the CPS and is entitled to give his viewpoint, and would expect to do so in all high-profile cases," a legal source said.
Yates is leading an eight-strong team of detectives looking at possible breaches of a law that bans the sale of awards. He is expected to complete his probe by the middle of next month.
So far police have questioned at least 48 people, 13 of them under caution, and made two arrests, of Levy and Des Smith, who works for the body that seeks sponsorship for the government's city academies.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number