No charges over ‘cash for honours’ funding scandal

PROSECUTORS yesterday said they will not bring any charges over a “cash-for- honours” scandal which clouded Tony Blair’s last year as British prime minister.

The announcement will come as a relief for the governing Labour Party and prime minister Gordon Brown, who succeeded Mr Blair last month and has sought to turn a new leaf with his government team.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had insufficient evidence to charge any of those suspected of offering places in the unelected upper House of Lords in exchange for political party funding.

“I have decided that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction against any individual for any offence in this matter,” said a CPS official. “Before a prosecution can commence, there must be sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction. If there is not sufficient evidence, then a case cannot proceed, no matter how important or serious it may be,” she said.

Lord Michael Levy, Mr Blair’s Mideast envoy and chief fundraiser who was arrested twice during the 16-month probe, welcomed the announcement.

“I have had every confidence that no charges would be brought against me. Nevertheless it comes as a great relief that after a complete and thorough investigation ... I have been exonerated as expected,” he said.

Mr Brown added: “It’s right that the police investigated these matters and I hope that we can bring an end to what has been now months of speculation.”

But Angus MacNeil, a Scottish National Party MP whose complaints spurred police to launch their investigation in 2006, said: “It is hard to believe that honest hard-working police officers have spent more than a year investigating this case for it to come to nothing.”