The Hindu : International : Blair facing probe on code

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

International

International

Blair facing probe on code

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, DEC. 27. The festive mood in Downing Street on New Year's eve has been spoilt somewhat by two politically embarrassing disclosures about Prime Minister, Tony Blair, — one, that he is being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner for an alleged breach of MPs' code; and, two, that he has the worst voting record in Parliament for any modern British Premier prompting accusations of running a `presidential' style of Government.

The investigation by the standards commissioner, Philip Mawer, follows a complaint from a Tory MP that Mr. Blair and his family enjoyed a holiday with a prominent businessman in France two years ago but he did not declare it in the MPs' Register of Interests. Under parliamentary rules, all MPs are required to declare any "material benefit [that] might reasonably be thought by others to influence his or her actions.''

The allegation that he enjoyed the hospitality of the French billionaire Alain Dominique Perrin is controversial because of Mr. Perrin's links with the powerful tobacco industry which has been lobbying against a total ban on smoking. Critics have seized on it to raise questions about the Blair Government's hesitation in fulfilling its pledge to impose a complete ban smoking in public.

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