Parliament has questions about Blair holiday

[Norlamand]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4125429.stm

Ethics watchdog questions Blair
Parliament's ethics watchdog has asked Tony Blair to explain why he did not declare a holiday with a man said to be a leading tobacco industry figure.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Sir Philip Mawer, wrote to the prime minister about a stay at a French home of Alain Dominique Perrin.

A Tory MP had complained the stay was not in the MPs' register of interests, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Downing Street said Mr Blair would reply to Sir Philip "in due course".

'Five days'

The Blairs stayed with Alain Perrin, then chairman of a company said to have a stake in British American Tobacco, in 2002.


Anything that needs to be registered will be registered
Downing St

The Sunday Telegraph said the family spent five days in Mr Perrin's 15th Century chateau in south-western France.


Tory MP Chris Grayling complained to Sir Philip that the stay had not been declared.

The Commons rules state that an MP is required to disclose any information of any "material benefit which ... might reasonably be thought by others to influence his or her actions, speeches or votes".


Mr Grayling told the paper: "I am not seeking to allege any impropriety in the prime minister's relationship with Mr Perrin but surely in the circumstances the prime minister would be bound by the rules to declare the hospitality?"

Downing St said Mr Blair and Mr Perrin were old friends.

"Anything that needs to be registered will be registered," a spokeswoman said. "There is correspondence going on."

She said that since the holiday, the government had unveiled plans for a ban on smoking in cafes, restaurants and most pubs in England.

Mr Blair caused controversy three years when his family stayed in Sharm-el-Sheik at the Egyptian taxpayers' expense.

Since then he has paid for two further visits.

A Downing Street spokesman refused to say whether Mr Blair was doing so on his latest break adding: "We are not discussing the holiday."


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4125429.stm

Published: 2004/12/26 20:54:41 GMT

© BBC MMIV

 

[TrailblazingScot]

Bashing Britain for Satan today?

 

[Hotpoint]

Bashing Britain for Satan today?

In this case I'd argue that trashing Blair is anything but bashing Britain given that Tony is no credit to the United Kingdom.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

In this case I'd argue that trashing Blair is anything but bashing Britain given that Tony is no credit to the United Kingdom.

You been looking at the recent drivel this chap has been coming up with.

HE hasn't even got an opinion, he is a copy&paste merchant across the forum and all anti-British and been doing this to get at another poster (Zulu).

All he has done is get my goat and hopefully of those of the mods.

 

[Hotpoint]

You been looking at the recent drivel this chap has been coming up with.

Yes I have, hence the reason I wrote "In this case"

 

[TrailblazingScot]

Yes I have, hence the reason I wrote "In this case"

Yes, but that was indicating to me that you saw a separation between the previous posts and this one. The theme is the same, this time to denigrate the man this country has twice put in office because he is having to answer a few questions about who pays for his holidays. It is still part and parcel of the same campaign, there is no deliberate separation...he was just running short on material

 

[zulu9812]

You been looking at the recent drivel this chap has been coming up with.

HE hasn't even got an opinion, he is a copy&paste merchant across the forum and all anti-British and been doing this to get at another poster (Zulu).

All he has done is get my goat and hopefully of those of the mods.

He is spamming now, isn't he?