Blair Destroyed Trust In Politics-Watchdog Chief

Britain's public standards watchdog has launched a stinging attack on Tony Blair.

He is accusing the prime minister of undermining trust in politics after coming to power 10 years ago promising to be "purer than pure."

A "cash-for-honours" scandal has dogged Blair's last months in office and he has twice been questioned by police as a witness. Blair is expected to stand down by July.

Police investigating allegations that political parties illegally nominated people for state honours in return for loans are now also trying to discover whether any of Blair's aides sought to conceal evidence.

"I suspect Blair and his government are going to be as strongly associated with the loss of public trust as (former Conservative Prime Minister John) Major's was with sleaze," standards watchdog Alistair Graham told the Sunday Times in an interview.

"Blair has betrayed himself. He set such a high bar for people to judge him and he has fallen well below the standards he set for himself," said Graham, due to step down in April as chairman of the Committee for Standards in Public Life.

The independent committee was set up by the previous Conservative government.

In the latest twist in the affair, biotechnology businessman Christopher Evans, one of the Labour donors caught up in the scandal, has admitted discussing state honours with the party's chief fundraiser, Lord Levy.

But Evans, in a letter to business partners obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, said Levy never offered him anything in return for his loan to the party.

In January, Levy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and close Blair aide Ruth Turner was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Both were released without charge.

In the letter to partners in his company Merlin Biosciences, quoted by the Telegraph, Evans said "It is my deepest and sincere conviction that I have done nothing wrong here at all and I have repeatedly made that clear to the police."

Evans, insisting that his one million pound loan was motivated solely by his support for Labour, wrote: "I certainly did not do it because Lord Levy ever made any offer to procure a peerage or guarantee that he could do so."

Evans said he and Levy had discussed the issue of a peerage.

"Did we ever discuss honours and politics? Did he ever say on the countless occasions that I met him and his wife over the years that I was deserving of a future honour or I should have a political role and make a difference?

"Yes, he did. So what? Why should I be embarrassed by that fact or such comments?

"Were conversations also taking place about making donations to the Party? Of course they were. Michael Levy was always talking about money, that's his job! Did he ever promise me anything in return for my donations or my loan? No. Never."