The political fortunes of the Europe Minister, Mr Keith Vaz, were dealt a further blow yesterday with the publication of correspondence showing his attempts to avoid answering a parliamentary committee's questions about his financial affairs.
The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee cleared the Leicester MP of all but one charge of financial misconduct earlier this week, but the Standards Commissioner, Mrs Elizabeth Filkin, was unable to complete her investigation of eight of the allegations against him because of his refusal to cooperate with the inquiry. The publication of correspondence between Mrs Filkin, Mr Vaz and his solicitor, Mr Geoffrey Bindman, released as part of the second phase of her findings, reveals how their relationship deteriorated during her eight-month inquiry.
Downing Street insisted Mr Vaz had the Prime Minister's full support, but as the damaging material was published, the Conservatives again demanded his resignation. The Shadow Health Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, described the Minister's correspondence as a catalogue of "evasion, intimidation and wilful obstruction" of the parliamentary process.
While conducting her investigation, Mrs Filkin sent a letter to Mr Vaz in June last year asking for answers to 48 questions. But the request prompted an angry response from the Minister and his solicitor. In December, Mr Bindman wrote to the commissioner, insisting Mr Vaz would not answer any more questions. "Mr Vaz is exceedingly concerned at the lack of clarity in your investigation, in which you have repeatedly confused evidence, rumour, speculation and allegation and have not given Mr Vaz any clear indication of what the case is against Mr Vaz or the evidence in support of it," Mr Bindman wrote.
The letters showed that as the commissioner became increasingly frustrated with Mr Vaz's unwillingness to co-operate with the inquiry, Mr Bindman hit back, accusing Mrs Filkin of adopting a "cavalier approach" toward the investigation, claiming it was being conducted in an "unsatisfactory and improper way". Mr Bindman also accused Mrs Filkin of conducting an "interrogation" that conflicted with "natural justice" and with Article 6 of the European Human Rights Convention.
Meanwhile, Labour could be returned with an even bigger majority than in 1997 in the next general election, according to a poll in yesterday's Daily Telegraph showing Labour's lead over the Conservatives has now increased to 26 points.
"The detailed correspondence clearly reveals that my solicitor and I responded promptly, and in a full and frank manner, to the Commissioner's questions," Mr Vaz said in a statement late last night.
"On average, we responded to her enquiries in approximately seven days and occasionally on the same day," he said.