Blair Dodges Calls for Independent Investigation on Prescott

Tony Blair is under pressure to impose a tougher set of anti-sleaze rules following the damning report on Prescott by standards watchdog Sir Philip Mawer.

Prescott has been under heavy criticism and was the subject of Mawer's probe due to his controversial relationship with super casino bidder Philip Anschutz.

Prescott's allies, including Blair, still insist on their belief that Prescott has done nothing wrong. Blair has refused a second time for calls of an independent investigation on his deputy, instigated by him.

Blair continued to dodge calls for an inquiry by Sir John Bourn, the official he appointed to oversee the investigation of ministerial conflicts of interest, in the wake of the controversy surrounding Tessa Jowell and her husband, David Mills.

MPs and Sir Philip however continued calling on Blair to change his stand on the investigation in the future and to make Sir John totally independent.

"This is a gap and it needs to be filled," Sir Philip told BBC Radio 4. Sir Alistair Graham, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, echoed Sir Philip's sentiment, saying: "I remain concerned that the new arrangements for an investigation by Sir John Bourn ... were not invoked in this case at the time when the allegations were made."