Sunday, April 22, 2007

Will Lord Levy Sing Like a Canary?

When you see the phrase "friends of Lord Levy said" in a newspaper story the chances are it is nothing of the sort. It's Lord Levy himself. Over the last few months "friends of Lord Levy" have made clear in various newspaper stories that Lord Levy will not go down quietly. If he's charged he fully intends to take others down with him. He's convinced himself that he has done nothing wrong and takes the view that if he's in the mire, it's the Prime Minister who has put him there and failed to come to his rescue.

All the Sunday newspapers are full of Cash for Peerages. Perhaps the most interesting story is in the Sunday Times, who allege that not only will Levy, Turner and Evans face charges, but so will the PM's Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell.

68 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm..surely not - 'friends of Lord Levy' could just be his lawyer. But that is stretching the word 'friend' [close] to breaking point...

Anonymous said...

There will be singing, BUT..

Jonathan will blame Michael..

Michael will blame Ruthie..

Ruthie will blame Jonathan who will blame Michael...

And we will have to wait until the music stops [sometime in 2012..] before we are any the wiser..

Iain Dale said...

No, I know three newspaper journlists who receive calls direct from Lord Levy himself. They protect him by using the phrase "friends of"

Anonymous said...

Agree that it is a travesty of 'justice' if that poisonous evil arslikhan Powell/Pole gets off with perversion.. slap the cuffs on him now.

Anonymous said...

Crikey, Mr Dale ! Maybe in view of your post we are forgetting that with the brass neck of Tony and the sheer chutzpah and musical background of Levy they will take to the stage with a musical of 'Sleaze for Souvenirs' starring their goodselves, but with a TV talent contest series to decide who plays Ruth Turner, who will have decided to become a nun somewhere in Bavaria looking after the 'von Crap' kids..

Anonymous said...

Iain - what was this survey referred to by Eddie Mair on 'Any Questions' where David Davis had come top as the 'politician most likely to give a straight answer to a question' ???

Think it may have been done by Manchester University, but suspect DD would have more information. Worth a bit of a plug-ette if you ask me..

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised you haven't referred to a 'football' analogy like 'it ain't over till it's over" to describe the cash-for-honours process...

Anonymous said...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6580987.stm

Ground being prepared for a cop-out..

Jeremy Jacobs said...

But will Lord Levy blame Tony?

David Anthony said...

Like the old saying goes... "You can't buy loyalty"

Lord Blagger said...

The whole affair misses one major crime.

The loan from Union Trust Bank was not reported and was not a commercial loan.

The banking regulators have forced UTB to call the loan. It was well above the 10% of capital exposure to any one borrower.

The labour party have repaid this pronto, inspite of calls from other lenders for their cash back.

Given its a non commerical loan, it wasn't reported.

That's an offence

jailhouselawyer said...

Ahem...it appears that the Tories are a bit slow off the starting block on this one:

http://prisonersvoice.blogspot.com/2007/04/is-david-perry-qc-lord-goldsmiths-and.html

Anonymous said...

Lord Levy didn't become successful impressario that he is by being an old softie. If I were Tony Blair, I'd double up on the medication for my dicky ticker.

Anonymous said...

"I'm a chubby chaser - a very chubby chaser..."

Anonymous said...

If there was the slightest chance of Lord Levy singing, he’ll be found in the woods like Dr Kelly.

Anonymous said...

How much are these peerages actually? I mean the bottom of the range ones? I'm willing to trade my student loan for one, surely that's worth a minor Welsh title? I'd make a great Baron Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch as I can actually say it in under 4 seconds. Just an idea (we know you read this Tony)

Anonymous said...

Where did that £18 million go???
If the party treasurer didnt have sight of it , what accounts did it go through and who ran those accounts?
I smell freshly laundered money.
But this is the UK so nothing will happen to whoever stole it.

Anonymous said...

Blair will hang on as Prime Minister fearing, rightly, that he will be far more vulnerable without the protection of his office, especially with a vengeful Brown in No 10.

Anonymous said...

Will Levy "do a Porter" and flee to Israel?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 2:37 - Dr Kelly was a scientist who had never been engaged in the cutthroat world of political ambition.

Levy is an operator. Naive people don't make vast fortunes, especially in the opportunistic, materialist environment of rock and roll.

Anonymous said...

Verity:3.33.
Making money in rock and roll,much like Guido did in fact in a roundabout way.(Sorry to mention Guido on this blog Verity,as it seems to make you strangely mentally disconnected.)

Anonymous said...

2.17 pm and 4.02 pm

Hello Mike, nice to see you back...I claim my £5

Anonymous said...

Don't you that a fiver is a lot of money for someone on a fixed income?

Anonymous said...

I simply can't understand why Tony Blair doesn't seem to be in the frame for this. It's simply not possible that he was completely unaware of what Levy, Turner, Powell and the rest of the shady crew in Downing St were up to, and if he knew, or had an inkling, he had a clear duty to do something about it. Which he didn't. Clear so far?

Now, the offence of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice is a serious one, which usually carries a prsion sentence. If Blair's staff hasve conspired with TB to keep him out of the frame - which is why he was interviewed by 'Yates of teh yard' as a witness rather than under caution as a suspect - and which is a complete racing certainty, then he is clearly implicated in such a conspiracy and should be thus indicted. With me thus far?

So, as he has not be interviewed as a suspect under caution, it follows that, unless you seriously believe in the Honours Fairy and that Party donations do actually grown on trees, that there is a conspiracy within No 10 to keep him out of it. Which means that he must be involved. Got that?
Now, where's that useful little Scots Nat type when we need him to make another complaint? Maybe he could disentangle himself from the local lovelies on Barra long enough to call Yates for another little chat ...Cue a police van in Downing Street. Hurrah!

Then, and only then, we might be getting to the organ-grinder rather than just his hapless little monkeys. What satisfaction there would be to see this fraudulent, dishonest, lying politico standing trial in front of a 'jury of his peers'. The irony would be exquisite. Even the Americans might get it.

Nothing like being snapped queuing up at visiting time outside Wormwood Scrubs to wipe the hideous, twisted gurning grin off Cherie's letter-box lips .... She might even have to go out to work again - though who would have her a client with her reputation now??

Anonymous said...

I followed your reasoning Colin, and agree.

But no need for such complexity. Tony knew because he always knew when he had to "happen" to drop round to Levy's swankienda as Levy was entertaining a potential donor.

The drill was, Levy would invite a potential donor over, saying, "Oh, do come! Tony may drop round later in the afternoon." So the donor went over. (Can you imagine - willingly putting yourself in a situation where you might have to shake hands with Tony Blair?)

And lo and behold! Tony "dropped round"! Tony was in on the scam all the way through.

Anonymous said...

For some strange reason, every time I see Lord Levy's house on the news, my memory is taken back to a short-lived BBC soap opera, called "Eldorado."

The Hitch said...

Colin
Be patient
I dare say Hitler felt himself to be invincible until the last few weeks of his life, no doubt Mussolini never envisaged hanging from a lamppost with his bit on the side sans culottes but it happened.
It isnt over for Blair , one way or another that f****** is going to end up in the dock , hopefully follwed by his legal execution or a fatal heart attack brought on by stress (or an Mi6 mickey in his coffee).I would prefer to see him die of of old age on the nonce wing of a victorian prison , that would mean he suffered a gret deal more.
My word verification ended with "wog" (+:

Anonymous said...

Unless my memory has completely failed me the "sleazy" tories werent this bad, were they?

If I remember correctly a couple of MPs were paid a bit of money (a couple of thousand) to ask some questions in parliament.
Some Tory MPs were having affairs, maybe also telling people not to have affairs and claiming that they stood-up for family values;
Also I seem to remember something about linking arms sales and international aid for the development of a dam.
Also did Jeffrey Archer buy some shares because his wife said he might make some money, and she was a director of the company concerned.

BUT NOW?? The head of F1 gives £1million and motorsports is excepted from the ban on tobacco sponsorship
People may (or may not) have given money to a politcal party and in return been given a seat in our parliament. An investigation is launched and a member of the cabinet will decide if charges should be bought (if by some strange event of fate and the judge in this case (if it ever gets that far) happened to be Cherie Booth I assume that it would also be fine for her to sit);
We were taken into an (illegal, or not) war on facts that were in correct. Either the govt is incompetent and cannot check what they are told (bad) or they are just incompetent (worse)
The govt spends billions on IT systems which they are told will work; but they dont. Billions wasted.
Within about a fortnight of annoucning his resignation Blair says he no longer things a referendum on EU matter is necessary - which either means there will be an attempt to push something through in the next few months; or else gives Brown a reason for the change of course.


When the Tories were in sleaze-gate; every one was talking about it - papers, the opposition, the climate of sleaze stuck.

BUT today no one seems to care. OK so cash-for-honours the media cannot say much, but the other facts. Why are the tories, media etc so quiet.

Do people just not care?

Anonymous said...

The Hitch - I don't think Blair feels invincible right now. I think he probably has a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He's probably got trapped gas again as he did when Michael Howard was due at the first PMQ when he because leader.

As several others have noted, he has to stay on now because once he's gone, he's lost every shred of power and patronage.

Incidentally, I see on on A Conservative's Blog that there are now between 1m and 3m people on the British voters' register who are in no way qualified to be there. This seems to be another development we owe to Tony.

The Hitch said...

verity I read that
its hardly suprising , the electoral register is just a list of those that pay council tax , it doesnt prove british nationality, if biometric ID cards were part of the voting system then no doubt we would never see another labour government , so maaaaaaaaaybe I might start to be in favour of the concept.

Anonymous said...

Tony Blair will not announce his resignation. He will find an urgent reason to stay on. He will not leave government. He is scared. If someone sneaked up behind him and shouted "Boo!" he'd probably fall down a dead faint - or worse. Hey! There's an idea!

Anonymous said...

The reason Bliar is not in the frame (yet) is that there would have been a firewall between the Dear Leader and his minions - no emails, nothing on paper, nothing on telephone.

If someone gives evidence against him, that may change.

Levy is no fool, although he has clearly misjudged the police investigation. He will have a "get out of jail" card and will play it at the appropriate time, ie. when charged.

Anonymous said...

<>said.5.32.
My theory is that we now have a generation of middle class politicians/lawyers/journalists who went through university together and swallowed whole the socialistic twaddle pedalled there.

Anonymous said...

Blair's going nowhere for the foreseeable future. Once he's resigned he puts his arse on the line and he knows it.

I expect to see more dirt dished on Brown in coming weeks.

The Dirty Rat said...

A scroat is a scroat irrespective of his wealth or lack of, his education or lack of. Honour amongst thieves and 'Never grass up your mates" doesn't enter the equation when their arse is on the line - their one thought is, always look after number 1. Levy is a scroat.

Anonymous said...

Of course he will sing ...

Once a lordly bagman sat by his tennis court
Under the shade of the patronage tree
And he sang as he watched and waited for the nouveaux riches
“Who’ll buy a peerage? Apply now to me!

Chorus

Who’ll buy a peerage? Who’ll buy a peerage?
Who’ll buy a peerage? Apply now to me!”
And he sang as he watched and waited for the nouveaux riches
“Who’ll buy a peerage? Apply now to me!”

Down came a punter to buy himself a baronet
Up jumped the bagman and fleeced him with glee
And he sang as he shoved the moolah in his money-bag
“Tennis with Tony, and lunch with Cherie!”

Chorus Tennis with Tony! etc

Up rode Inspector Yates mounted on his motorbike
Down came the coppers one, two, three
“What’s all that dosh you’ve been shoving in your money-bag?
You’re coming down to the station with me!”

Chorus Down to the station! etc

Up jumped the bagman and made a call to Number 10
“If I go down, I will take you with me!”
And his boast may be heard as you pass by that tennis court
“Who’ll buy a peerage? Apply now to me!”

Chorus Who’ll buy a peerage? etc

Anonymous said...

Ratty - Why shouldn't Levy grass up Tony? Would you put your freedom on the line for Tony Blair? Actually, would anyone?

Again, Levy is a self-made squillionaire in a cut-throat business. I don't think he lives by the Boy Scout's Honour Code.

In fact, the one thing that has puzzled me about this is, what is in all this for Levy? What was ever in it for Levy? He already has a title. He already has squillions. He's a devout Jew. He keeps kosher. He apparently has a glass of wine to keep other people at the table comfortable, but barely touches it.

He has a mansion. If he hasn't got a Roller, it's because he doesn't want one.

This honestly puzzles me. What was in all this for Lord Levy? Any ideas, anyone?

Anonymous said...

Nick Drew - Brilliant!

Anonymous said...

What irks me about this business is the suspicion that Blair & Co still don't believe they've done anything wrong. The distinction between the best interests of Labour Party (not to mention the Blairs) and the conscientious conduct of Her Majesty's government has eluded them since 1997, and the penny has still not dropped.

There's a good piece in the Telegraph this morning on cash for access and Downing Street's policy of flattering Labour party donors by suggesting that their views might (sic) have some influence on policy.

Anonymous said...

Dear Verity,

It,s the love and smell of power and influence.Nothing else counts when rich.

Anonymous said...

Tony will continue to deny he knew anything about anything. In much the same way that he claimed to have absolutely no idea whatsoever that his wife had bought 2 flats in Bristol. (Which reminds me again of Tessa Jowell having absolutely no idea that her husband had paid off the mortgage.)

Anonymous said...

Trumpeter Lanfried - I think they know the distinction. This is part of the rich unpicking of the patchwork quilt that was Britain. Our people, our constitution, our history, our ancient boundaries, our money, our measurements, our civil society ... it's all of a piece. I think Blair is the most wicked person ever to have power in Britain. This is all intentional and designed to destabilise the British and shoo them into a one-worlder Trot paradise.

Blair has contempt for Britain. It's a comfort that the Brits, for the most part, return the favour.

The Dirty Rat said...

Verity.
This honestly puzzles me. What was in all this for Lord Levy? Any ideas, anyone?
Levy was from a humble working class immigrant background. He created his wealth by dubious methods but still feels the need to be accepted and be part of the 'Establishment' We have seen it countless times in the past with people like the Krays etc.

Anonymous said...

Trumpeter Lanfried

Of course they know they've done wrong.........but they want to convince others that they've done nothing wrong....and even if they have....well its not really very important ,is it?

The Murdoch BBC expressed just that sentiment on the Breakfast time TV newspaper review when they had a silly bit of fluff posing as a serious Times journalist pretending to be a silly bit of fluff, and telling the viewers that she didn't know what all the fuss was about. 'So what',she said, 'so what if some people wish to pay money to political parties in order to call themselves by silly titles, so what'. She deliberately didn't mention the fact that the silly title gave them a right to vote on legislation. Pure unadulterated Murdoch/Nulab spin (spin is another word for deceit,lie...but it sounds much nicer and is not nearly so naughty).

A bunch of crooks the lot of them!

Anonymous said...

Yes, but,Ratty, you'd think he would be proud of what he has accomplished! And he already had a peerage before he got involved in the selling of titles.

In other words, he had absolutely nothing to gain by associating himself so closely with a louche character like Tony Blair. You would think he would have avoided the wide boys in politics and mixed around with patrons of the arts and given an endowment or two.

Did he really have the bad taste to think that being a "friend" of Tony Blair would add lustre to his image?

Anonymous said...

So, basically, Lord Levy has NO friends?

Quelle surprise.

The Dirty Rat said...

Verity.
Did he really have the bad taste to think that being a "friend" of Tony Blair would add lustre to his image?
I think he did, it was a way into the 'powerhouse' Blair made him his envoy to the middle east. How many doors has that opened for him?

Anonymous said...

There will be a fall guy and it won't be PHONY TONY

The Hitch said...

Verity
Just take a peep at Levys house
That will tell you all need to know about his "taste"
Jewish peasant "done good "

Anonymous said...

Ratty - Well, I don't know how many doors that has opened to him, given that the Arabs won't do business with a Jew. Also, I don't know how much call their is for rock impressarios in Riyadh.

(He could start a rock group called The Jumpin' Jihadis.)

The Hitch said...

Verity
This duo are very popular in saudi


http://youtube.com/watch?v=aabNQd8YZKM

Anonymous said...

Rather than looking for info on Lord Levy through Conservative sources, perhaps it would be worth looking at a left-wing source, such as "Red Star Research."

http://preview.tinyurl.com/394nne

Some of the offshore tax stuff makes interesting reading (assuming it's true.)

Anonymous said...

OK. Somebody almost beat me to it. How about all-girl band The Burka Babes of Babylon? I see it as a kind of cross between Diana Ross and The Supremes and Bony M.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 8:44 Could you précis it for us?

Anonymous said...

Quote from Red Star Research

"Although a multi-millionaire, he only paid £5,000 in tax in 1998-9 and less than £10,000 in 1997-8 as he said he wasn't working.

He runs a private company called Wireart, an investment company which was based in an oversea tax haven until 1997.

Wireart paid him £160,000 (plus £50,000 expenses) for work as a management consultant in 1998-9 at the time he wasn't working."lcpv

Anonymous said...

Anonymous - So?

Why should anyone volunteer to pay more tax? I wish everyone had an accountant that talented. Then he politicians couldn't ride rough-shod over the citizenry (who are their boss, in any case) and there would be no money to fund welfare for chavs and immigrants.

The NHS would collapse decisively and private enterprise would spring into the gap.

I just don't see a downside here.

Sir Francis Walsingham said...

Those who think that Arabs will not do business with Israel/Jews need to have another look at that part of the world. Particularly the Saudis.

Being Blair's fixer would be exactly what he needed to get on the deal making gravy train out there.

"Look, this guy sold my cousin a peerage - he is obviously a man who would be worth a 5% commision on our deal with BAe".

The Hitch said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Hitch said...

Verity
The point is , these Jewish multi millionaires have been funding a party that increases tax for the majority of the population whilst they avoid paying it themselves.
We are not in Iraq beacuse Blair is the poodle of the Bush family , we are in Iraq because The Bushes are bought and paid for bag men for Jews , Blair was bought by those very same Jews , some "donors" have even admitted to that *coughs* sir david Garrard .

Anonymous said...

I have this brilliant vision in my mind after the passing of the file;

Wembley, May, Cup Final day, Blair spotted in the crowd and both sets of fans burst into song whilst pointing in his direction;

"youre not spinning anymore, youre not spinning any more" followed by

"down with the watford, youre going down with the watford"

then he is forced to leave due to embarrassment to the strains of

"bye bye Labour, bye byr Labour-we can see you sneaking out"


The image then switches to the House of Commons and David Davis is standing on the front bench leading chants of;

"one seat between you, theres only one seat between you"

whilst pointing at the cowardly scum on the government side


i am sure there are many more football songs that can be adopted to todays political climate....

Anonymous said...

I agree with hitch.

The real issue is the conspiracy to pervert government policy, both domestic and foreign.

The truth is that traitors operating through the media and political graft, have promoted rip-roaring immigration, multi-culturalism, and a foreign policy which is deeply abhorent to the English people. These same people may have successfully instituted laws to prevent the English saying what they think, but they are thinking it all the same and they will continue to do so and they will never forget who they are and who their enemies are and what they will do when the opportunity arises as it inevitably will.

Anonymous said...

Most villains cough once they're nicked, my CID friend told me.

Did he mean they tend to spill the beans under questioning?

No, he said. Most of them just cough.

But why?

Because they need to, he said.

But why?

Because their guilt plays on their minds, they get sick of it and it's a relief to get it off their chests.

Are you listening, Mr Blair?

Auntie Flo'

Anonymous said...

Lord Levy?
This must surely be past tense?

Anonymous said...

Forthurst - Most American states have the "right to keep and bear arms" for precisely this reason: to overthrow an overmighty government.

That was the whole thinking behind the "right to keep and bear arms" and the lefty states that gave that right away will, ironically, be saved by those who didn't - if push ever comes to shove.

You people who hate the United States might like to inform yourselves. It is 300 years old. Bugger off.

Madasafish said...

"Forthurst - Most American states have the "right to keep and bear arms" for precisely this reason: to overthrow an overmighty government."

And when was the last time the US citizens overthrew their own government by force of arms?

Anonymous said...

The Sun's already got them lined up?
Goy George
Blue Suede Jew
Fiddler Of The Truth
etc etc.
A clip has been shown quite often recently showing Lord Levy embracing Mr Blair at some function.The look on Levy's face is one of almost adoration IMO.When he does indeed find out that he was usefull but nothing more than that,I'm sure a clever man like him won't take it lying down (and why should he be expected to)?

Anonymous said...

Madasafish - Logic's not your strong point, is it? You write with the triumphant air of someone making a killer point: "And when was the last time the US citizens overthrew their own government by force of arms?"

Never! That is the perfection of the right to keep and bear arms. With an armed citizenry, no government dares get over-mighty. See, that's the whole point of the argument. If the citizenry at large, after trying by every other means to control the legislature, would be LEGALLY WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS to storm the state or national senate and kill the legislators. That is the law.

And if you think that the armed forces would fire on their fellow citizens who were exercising a legal right, you do not know America.

This law is the best insurance that no legislating chamber - state or federal - ever has the temerity to get over-mighty.

Anonymous said...

I dont know if it will get that far. The Head of police lunches with Lord Levy and Lord Goldsmith is a good friend of Blair and Party donor as well as a peer. I have also heard from a police source that two people came forward, one of which I have found is Courtney Coventry, and told the police they had very damaging information regarding cash for honours. They offerred to give statements however, the police never followed up on this. This is interesting as even though the police file handed over may contain enough to charge (not that Lord Goldsmith will let it get that far) apparently everyone interviewed has denied wrongdoing and yet, when a statement is offered that there WAS wrongdoing and honours were offerred for donations the police take no action? Does it really sound like they want this to go to trial? The parties involved have used every influence available to them to make this go away. Tony Blair if threatened to resign if he was questioned under caution.