Mark Pack

Keith Vaz faces more allegations over inappropriate contacts

By | Sun 28th September 2008 - 12:59 pm

Keith Vaz is already facing an investigation over allegations that he interfered in a court case to help a Labour Party donor, and now is also facing allegations of secretly letting Gordon Brown influence the outcome of an independent inquiry into 28-days detention:

Keith Vaz, the chairman of the home affairs select committee, sought the private views of Gordon Brown for an independent report into government plans to extend the detention of terror suspects beyond 28 days.

Emails which have been seen by The Observer suggest that the MP for Leicester East spoke secretly to the Prime Minister about the committee’s draft paper and proposed a meeting because ‘we need to get his [Brown’s] suggestions’.

The disclosure has deeply concerned committee members and civil liberties campaigners. Select committee reports are supposed to be compiled independently of government influence.

Shami Chakrabarti, the director of Liberty, said: ‘This email is obviously cringeworthy – a “Yo, Blair!” moment – but the real concern is a select committee chairman seeking the Prime Minister’s suggestions for an independent report. Judges deciding cases don’t email one of the parties in private seeking their suggestions on the eve of their decision.’

Read the full story in The Observer.

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