Goldsmith won't give up honours probe powers
Updated on 22 April 2007
Attorney general Lord Goldsmith has insisted he would not give up his power to have the final say on whether prosecutions are brought in the cash-for-honours case.
Critics have urged the attorney to stand aside, alleging a conflict of interest because he is a member of the Cabinet and former Labour donor who was elevated to the peerage by Prime Minister Tony Blair.
But Lord Goldsmith today insisted that he would judge the case for a prosecution "objectively, on the evidence, independently from Government".
He was unable to stand aside from the case because the law requires his consent before certain charges are brought and because he is the only figure accountable to Parliament for the actions of the Crown Prosecution Service.
He repeated his pledge to appoint an independent barrister to advise him if he is consulted on possible prosecutions arising from the 13-month cash-for-honours inquiry, and to publish counsel's advice if no charges are brought.
But he said he could not commit in advance to simply rubber-stamping the advice of the barrister, who would be selected in consultation with opposition parties to dispel any suspicion of partisanship.
Lord Goldsmith's comments come as the CPS prepares to scrutinise a 216-page file handed over by the Metropolitan Police on Friday.
And they come amid speculation that as many as five members of Mr Blair's inner circle are being considered for possible charges, including his chief of staff Jonathan Powell and personal fundraiser Lord Levy.
Lord Goldsmith was critical of apparent leaks from the inquiry and prosecution team to the press, which he said were "not helpful".
And he suggested that some sort of investigation should be launched after the case closes to address concerns about the way the inquiry was handled.
