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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Speaker 'to probe' Blair F1 claim | Speaker 'to probe' Blair F1 claim |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Commons speaker Michael Martin has said he is "deeply concerned" at claims Tony Blair misled MPs over exempting Formula One from a tobacco advertising ban. | Commons speaker Michael Martin has said he is "deeply concerned" at claims Tony Blair misled MPs over exempting Formula One from a tobacco advertising ban. |
| The government has said the decision was not made straight after a 1997 meeting between Mr Blair and F1 owner, the Labour donor Bernie Ecclestone. | |
| But documents suggest the then PM ordered that ministers find a way to create an exemption. | |
| Mr Martin said he would look into two Tory MPs' claims of wrongdoing. | Mr Martin said he would look into two Tory MPs' claims of wrongdoing. |
| Mr Ecclestone gave a £1m donation to Labour in 1997, which the party later handed back amid negative newspaper coverage. | Mr Ecclestone gave a £1m donation to Labour in 1997, which the party later handed back amid negative newspaper coverage. |
| 'Right to truth' | 'Right to truth' |
| Documents obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act - and reported in newspapers at the weekend - suggest Mr Blair ordered ministers to find a way of exempting F1 from the tobacco advertising ban after the meeting with Mr Ecclestone on 16 October of that year. | Documents obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act - and reported in newspapers at the weekend - suggest Mr Blair ordered ministers to find a way of exempting F1 from the tobacco advertising ban after the meeting with Mr Ecclestone on 16 October of that year. |
| But at the time the prime minister denied personal involvement, and appeared on a BBC programme to insist he was a "pretty straight kind of guy". | But at the time the prime minister denied personal involvement, and appeared on a BBC programme to insist he was a "pretty straight kind of guy". |
| In the Commons on Monday, Conservative MP John Maples said of Mr Blair: "In his [previous] answer to us, he stated that no decision had been made on October 16th." | In the Commons on Monday, Conservative MP John Maples said of Mr Blair: "In his [previous] answer to us, he stated that no decision had been made on October 16th." |
| There is nothing new here. All these issues were known and debated at the time Tony Blair's spokesman | |
| He told the speaker: "This House must assert its right to truth from ministers and I wonder... how we can change our rules to achieve this. | He told the speaker: "This House must assert its right to truth from ministers and I wonder... how we can change our rules to achieve this. |
| "I urge you to give a lead in this so we can insist on full and truthful answers from ministers and a sanction against those who mislead us." | "I urge you to give a lead in this so we can insist on full and truthful answers from ministers and a sanction against those who mislead us." |
| Another Tory, Peter Luff, said: "Can you please... review the rules to make sure that errors of this kind made by former members of this House - probably deliberately - can be corrected." | Another Tory, Peter Luff, said: "Can you please... review the rules to make sure that errors of this kind made by former members of this House - probably deliberately - can be corrected." |
| Mr Martin replied: "I am deeply concerned that two MPs have said they were deliberately misled." | Mr Martin replied: "I am deeply concerned that two MPs have said they were deliberately misled." |
| He told the MPs to write to him and added that he would ask his officials to investigate the contents of their letter. | He told the MPs to write to him and added that he would ask his officials to investigate the contents of their letter. |
| A spokesman for Tony Blair said later: "There is nothing new here. All these issues were known and debated at the time, and the documents released are entirely consistent with his answers at the time." |