Blair Advised by Watchdog
Prime Minister Tony Blair has been urged by Sir Alistair Graham, know in the Whitehall at the Standards 'Watchdog', to 'clear the air' by holding an inquiry into Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's dealings with casino tycoon Philip Anschutz and their nature.
The chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life has warned Blair not to allow "political considerations" to get in the way of the inquiry.
The 'watchdog' mentioned that Blair should also ask Sir John Bourn, the respected head of the National Audit Office to likewise look into the matter.
"It does seem to me when these issues relate to a central aspect of Government policy in terms of casinos, the future of the Dome, planning issues like that, it would be much better to clear the air by invoking the procedure to ask Sir John Bourn to carry out an investigation," he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend.
Sir Graham's intervention in the affair followed shortly after reports started circulating that Prescott had received an elaborate Wild West outfit during his stay at Philip Anschutz estate summer of last year.
Many critics deemed this inappropriate as Prescott is in a position of power and Anschutz is bidding to erect Britain's first super casino at the Millennium Dome. Prescott has also been accused of violating Ministerial Codes.
"I think the Prime Minister and the Government would be better positioned in dealing with these issues if they used the procedure that he himself introduced only fairly recently," Sir Graham said.
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