One of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's most senior aides has attacked the police investigation into cash for honors, saying that its interminable length is poisoning British politics. In a remarkable admission from the heart of No. 10 Downing Street, the aide said that the constant delays were a "blight" not just on the Labor Party and the prime minister but on the whole of democracy.
The aide is understood to be reflecting feelings in Downing Street that the length of the police investigation, which has been running for nearly a year, is frustrating and unnecessary. There has been growing tension between the government and the police inquiry team, led by Assistant Commissioner John Yates.
"At different times, [the police] said it would end in different periods," the aide said. "They said it was supposed to end in September. Then it was supposed to end in October. Then it was supposed to end in December, then January. So I don't attach much credence to whatever anyone says. But I hope it ends soon, because it is a blight on all politics, not just the Labor Party. We expect it to end in the next couple of weeks. Whether it does is another matter."
Asked whether No. 10 had been given specific reason to believe the police would send the completed inquiry to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in the next two weeks the aide said: "Yes"
On Saturday, Blair admitted for the first time how bruising the affair was to government, acknowledging it was "hard to stay calm" amid such a storm. The admissions will be seen as an attempt to deflect anger among Members of Parliament (MPs) who accuse Downing Street of deluding itself over the depth of the crisis.
Cabinet ministers are now openly discussing options to speed Blair on his way, including asking the National Executive Committee, the party's ruling body, to set a time-table for his departure -- making clear before May's elections that he will be gone within weeks. Another option is to urge Chancellor of the Exchange Gordon Brown to strike a new deal with Blair, involving a public announcement in April of his leaving date. Neither move would force Blair out but both would signal to voters he was effectively finished.
While the CPS could take months to decide whether to bring charges against anyone, Blair does not expect to be charged because he was not interviewed under caution. MPs believe the police, who have now sent nine files on the affair to the CPS, are now working on four main case files -- one on director of government relations Ruth Turner, two on chief fundraiser Lord Levy and one on the biotech donor Sir Christopher Evans, also arrested last year. They are understood to be studying laptops and Blackberries belonging to figures including Turner.
On Saturday Blair insisted the scandal would not affect the next election, arguing that would be about "changes that endure, not controversies that pass" and that the party should stick to the New Labor direction.
None the less there is growing concern in government that his determination to stay until July risks big losses in May's elections and leaves Brown too little time to establish himself as leader before summer.
"At some point Gordon's got to say, `I have got to be in this job by June.' He could say that publicly even -- it would be better than conspiracy," said one Cabinet colleague who is close to Brown.
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