Blair interviewed by police for the second time

The Prime Minister was secretly interviewed by police last Friday, he was first interviewed five weeks ago.

This morning's newspapers were already talking about the end of Tony Blair (The Telegraph called him "an absurdity") due to David Cameron's performance at PMQs. This revelation from today's lobby briefing is a devastating double-whammy and perhaps justifies Cameron's strategy of aiming his sights at Blair rather than Brown.

Deputy Editor

2pm update from PA: Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said he did not want to "prejudge" the police inquiry.  But it's obviously an extremely serious matter when a serving Prime Minister is interviewed twice by the police," he added.  I think that the police need to conduct the inquiry as they see fit and it's certainly not the job of politicians to interfere in that... There's a broader point here which goes to the whole situation we find ourselves in this year, which is that this Government is paralysed and, as David Cameron was saying in the House of Commons yesterday, it's difficult to see why Tony Blair is remaining in office."

Comments

[Donal Blaney]

Supposedly the police wanted it kept secret. Yeah right!

[Andrew Woodman]

Oh what a tangled web we weave

[Gregor Hopkins]

Hello, Hello, Hello what's going on 'ere then?

[Chevalier de la Foi]

Are you sure there isn't a UKIP story you should be running ahead of this one, Ed.?

[Gospel of Enoch]

You could try Roger Knapman MEP calling for Baroness Thatcher to call for us to leave the EU... Although I do like the occasional non-UKIP, and even non-Tory story here: variety adds spice and all that!

[William Norton]

Blair interviewed by police for the second time

It's hardly surprising that, since he managed to balls-up every one of his Cabinet reshuffles, Blair should also balls-up his own departure. At least the Tory Party has a "default" mechanism for these occasions.

The time has arrived for The Men In Flat Caps to pay the PM a visit.

[Scotty]

This is beginning to look extremely serious for Blair and the Labour party, but sadly it will effect all political parties in the eyes of the voter's.

[sjm]

William, it's surely time for the Men in White Coats to pay the PM a visit.

[Nigel Twocock]

Surely the police should be interviewing David Cameron for his failure to withdraw immediately from the EPP?

[Winchester whisperer]

Would an election have to be called if Blair were arrested?

[TimberWolf]

Did Blair get the job?

[Steve]

It was kept secret for 'operational reasons' at police request. Which means someone was collared yesterday or today I guess.

[Andrew Woodman]

It very much looks like Blair grassed up his friend Levy.

The things he'll do to save his own skin.

[ToMTom]

William, it's surely time for the Men in White Coats to pay the PM a visit.

Posted by: sjm | February 01, 2007 at 14:14

No need for Forensics yet

[William Norton]

Timberwolf: Did Blair get the job?

Second interview is usually the one where they ask all the tricky technical questions, so - NO.

[sjm]

TomTom - I was thinking more of those soft, padded jackets gracefully adorned with long ribbons for tying up recalcitrant arms .... insanity can be the only true diagnosis - the inane laughter, the self-delusion, the megalomania.

[Matt Davis]

Cameron is entirely right to target Bliar and not Brown since it is the former whom the electorate have come to hate, they are still prepared to give Brown the benefit of the doubt.Once Brown becomes PM then he can be condemned for what he then says and does, but in the same way as the left still try to use Mrs Thatcher against us we can and should continue to use Bliar against Labour even after he does the perp walk at the hands of Yates and his team.

[Matt Davis]

William, I believe that you may be hiding your light under a bushel. It cannot be any coincidence that the excellent decision to take Party Conference to Birmingham has come so soon after your own move to Brum.If only I had that level of influence..... . ;-))

[Rudyard.]

Has Cameron or any of the CONS been interviewed yet?

The cops will probably "do"your lot next I expect.

Funny how quiet the CONS have been about all this cash for titles stuff eh?

[sjm]

Oh heavens, another Labour troll who doesn't know the difference between being in Government and being in opposition!

[Matt Davis]

Rudyard as in Kipling as in teller of fictional stories, just like those told to the nation by Bliar and the other crooked Labourite liars.

[Rudyard.]

Matt Davis,I think I may be in good company on here,your boy Cameron told lies to Members when he wanted them to vote him into the Leaders slot by saying he would remove the CONS from the EPP in weeks,not months.

Has Cameron removed you from the EPP yet?

Plus other stuff which only strengthens anyones case who calls Cameron a lying cheat when it comes to an election.

Has he stopped lying and giving the impression of him being a Eurosceptic which he's not, or,restated the lies about the optout of the Fisheries Policy/UK Fishing grounds?

Remember what is happening right now in the Labour Party with their lying leader, Bliar.

Don't let Cameron and the silent few who are manipulating him destroy the Conservative Party and it's dwindling Membership.

Cameron has to ante up or ship out,soonish rather than later.

[EML]

Cameron's doing just fine, thank you very much.

[Yet Another Anon]

Would an election have to be called if Blair were arrested?
If Tony Blair were arrested then he wouldn't even automatically lose his seat and in theory could remain PM unless he was sent to jail, I imagine though that in such an unlikely circumstance of him actually being arrested that Gordon Brown would say that he should resign as leader and Prime Minister and that the Privy Council would advise the Queen to replace Tony Blair as Prime Minister - the most likely short term option would be John Prescott, but it might be that Gordon Brown would assume the position of PM even before becoming Labour leader, another possibility would be some other interim leader such as Margaret Beckett or Jack Straw.

If Tony Blair is ineligible for office then the Queen picks a new Prime Minister, she would consult with the Privy Council and with senior figures in the Labour Party. The Queen also decides if there is an election or not on the advice of ministers - even in the case of a motion of No Confidence, in theory the Queen could refuse to trigger an election although in practice it is accepted by government and monarchy.

[Yet Another Anon]

Has Cameron or any of the CONS been interviewed yet?
Michael Howard was interviewed, but not under caution or as a suspect - think a couple of others have been as well, some Liberal Democrats may end up being interviewed as well, for all we know it may even come down to people in the SNP being interviewed about their parties finances - it's not even just parties that have been in government because recommendations for honours have been accepted by the Prime Minister on the advice of senior figures in other political parties.

[Rudyard.]

EML thinks Cameron is doing just fine.

You must be very easily pleased EML if you think so.

Maybe someone else would like to back you on your statement?

A liar and a cheat is a bad figurehead to have as a Leader,Cameron has been proven as both of these,everyone knows it, and I think that even includes you,EML.

[Bambi at the Abbatoir]

A liar and a cheat is a bad figurehead to have as a Leader

The entire nation now sees your point.

But cheer up. He'll be gone before September (and maybe a lot sooner if Levy squeals) and you'll then have a choice of Brown, Reid or Hain to lie and cheat more deftly on your behalf.

[Matt Davis]

Rudyard I do have the occasional nightmare in which you are right, and yes I for one am still exremely angry about the broken EPP promise. However if it is now the case that in order to become PM you need to be a liar and a cheat then there really is no hope for the future of democracy in this country, and Phony Bliar's true legacy will have been to take us back to the bad old days of Lloyd George. There is no escaping the fact that this current shower are the worst, most incompetent, most oppressive, most profligate and wasteful and most self serving of the modern political era. Nice one Labour.

[Graeme Archer]

I wondered if Rudyard was from Labour until he brought the EPP up, goodness, what a surprise, another UKIP person with nothing better to do than try to help Tony Blair. Let me guess Rudyard, you've been a Real Conservative since Nineteen Canteen but now find yourself, more in sorrow, etc etc.

Blair is overcoming his famous allergy to John Humphreys and will be interviewed on Today at 8.10am this morning (Friday).

[Rudyard.]

FYI,I am not a Labour Member/supporter/troll,I detest Bliar and most of those near him.

Yes,I was a Conservative, for more than four decades as it happens,I,and eight of my like removed ourselves from the Conservative party only last month because we can't support the silly stuff that Cameron and his circle have introduced to the party image.

We WILL ALL REJOIN the Conservative Party,but, only after Cameron is no longer it's Leader.

[malcolm]

Anyone hear the interview? Sadly I was doing my bit for the enviroment and commuting by train. I'm glad it was Humphreys doing the interview and not Naughtie. I would imagine dear old Jim would have started by saying 'Prime Minister would you like to list your fifty gratest achievements?'.

[Curly]

What with a combination of police silencing tactics and Hazel Blears saying today that the corrosive effect is damaging Labour's ability to communicate, I'd say that that they've got themselves into a right old mess!

Still worse, Brown has the Sith complex to deal with yet!

[Yet Another Anon]

But cheer up. He'll be gone before September (and maybe a lot sooner if Levy squeals) and you'll then have a choice of Brown, Reid or Hain to lie and cheat more deftly on your behalf.
John Reid and Peter Hain will never be PM, both have too many skeletons in their closet and have annoyed too many people - they might be Deputy Leader of Labour and First Secretary of State, but nothing more. Peter Hain used to be a great hero of Labour backbenchers, but I'm not sure this is the case anymore - Michael Meacher, Frank Field or Frank Dobson have more chance of becoming leader than they do; although I think that if Gordon Brown was to falter that Alistair Darling, John Hutton, Patricia Hewitt or Stephen Byers would emerge as the front runners.

[Hardeep Panchhi]

for all the sleaze accusations that labout threw at the tories it never went as high as the office of prime minister, for a serving prime minister to be interviewed by the police, unfortunately doesnt only disgrace labour, it disgraces the office of prime minister and politics in general

[Jon White]

Hardeep Panchhi is absolutely correct in his last post. It is a disgrace. It is made all the worse by the fact that Bliar promised that his government would be "whiter than white" when it came into office.

It is hardly the first instance of corruption either. (Remember bernie Ecclestone's donations?) What is sadder is that we as an opposition have been so innefective at making this 'shower' face up to their moral vacuum.

[Matt Davis]

Oi Cherie, lend me a tenner I want to buy a peerage!