I have a very difficult decision to make today. So does the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith. I have to decide whether to rise from my sickbed and make a trip to Upton Park to see the Hammers play Manchester City. Lord Goldsmith has to decide whether to give Des Smith immunity from prosecution in return for him spilling the beans on the cash for honours scandal. My decision is relatively simple based on the number of sneezes per minute. Lord Goldsmith, however, is in a slightly more tricky position. It was he, you will remember, who told Tony Blair that the war in Iraq was illegal, but after an intervention from Sally (now Baroness) Morgan he had a remarkable change of mind. I wonder if this is a decision he now regrets. If so, it will haunt him for the rest of his life. So when Inspector Knacker's file lands on his desk, he'll open it with some sense of trepidation. And rightly so. But the bigger question here is this. Should it really be the decision of a political appointee to make? There is of course one even greater question. Will I end up at Upton Park this afternoon?
Saturday, April 15, 2006
A Tricky Decision for Lord Goldsmith on Cash for Honours
I have a very difficult decision to make today. So does the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith. I have to decide whether to rise from my sickbed and make a trip to Upton Park to see the Hammers play Manchester City. Lord Goldsmith has to decide whether to give Des Smith immunity from prosecution in return for him spilling the beans on the cash for honours scandal. My decision is relatively simple based on the number of sneezes per minute. Lord Goldsmith, however, is in a slightly more tricky position. It was he, you will remember, who told Tony Blair that the war in Iraq was illegal, but after an intervention from Sally (now Baroness) Morgan he had a remarkable change of mind. I wonder if this is a decision he now regrets. If so, it will haunt him for the rest of his life. So when Inspector Knacker's file lands on his desk, he'll open it with some sense of trepidation. And rightly so. But the bigger question here is this. Should it really be the decision of a political appointee to make? There is of course one even greater question. Will I end up at Upton Park this afternoon?
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3 comments:
Where's the story about Lord Goldsmith changing his mind after pressure from Sally Morgan?
Under what powers can he give somebody "immunity" from prosecution. As I understand it this is a media myth.
Plus you have to prove there is a crime - and personally I see a lot of hot air but no smoke and no fire.
If the police give a firm recomendation, either way, he would find it difficult to resist. this may, in turn, depend both on what Smith has to say & on what others in & around the PM's office have already said/denied/refused to say until their lawyer turns up.
It is obvious that there is a statistically impossible relationship between Lordships & donations (among everybody) but proving the links in the chain will be easier, but not that much easier, than proving what gold came from Brinksmat.
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