Downing Street Says » Party funding-Phillips inquiry

» Thursday, January 18, 2007

Party funding-Phillips inquiry

Mr Straw was asked about claims in the latest BBC report, suggesting that agreement had been reached with Sir Hayden Phillips on the issue. The Leader denied that was the case. He said that Sir Hayden was in discussions with each of the parties at present, and was apparently nearing the final stages of drawing up a report. Mr Straw said that Sir Hayden had to come to his own conclusions, but he had no idea what his report would say.

Pressed further, the Leader again stressed that there was not an agreement. He referred to the latest statement issued by Sir Hayden’s office in response to the reports, rejecting them as inaccurate. The Leader confirmed, in response to a further question, that the issue had been discussed at Cabinet earlier today.

Mr Straw said that Sir Hayden was exploring the scope for agreement and, therefore, compromise with each of the parties. It was for him to say the basis on which he thought some things may or may not be part of an agreement. The Leader said he would not go into details of any meetings with Sir Hayden, who was conducting a very important and sensitive inquiry on which, as was known publicly, the original positions of the three parties were different. In response to a further question on the specific issues of spending cap and a voluntary framework for a cap on donations, the Leader referred to his party’s official policy on the issue.

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