MPs call for Irvine inquiry

Downing Street has defended Lord Irvine

Conservatives are calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the lord chancellor's role in a controversial fundraising dinner.

Lord Irvine, who as head of the judiciary has the power to appoint QCs and judges, sent letters to solicitors and barristers inviting them to a Labour Party fundraising dinner he was hosting at a London restaurant.

He has no one to blame except himself

Shadow lord chancellor Lord Kingsland

The Tories have accused Lord Irvine of jeopardising the impartiality of his office by seeking donations and have called on him to resign.

The shadow lord chancellor, Lord Kingsland, has backed the resignation call, saying: "I think it is highly undesirable that the lord chancellor should be drawn into the party political arena in this way.

"But he has no one to blame except himself."

Tory MP Michael Fabricant has written to the chairman of the Public Standards Committee, Lord Neill, asking him to investigate the lord chancellor's conduct.

Solid support

A spokesman for the committee said on Tuesday morning that the complaint had still to be examined.

He added, however, that the committee did not investigate specific complaints against individuals. The government is standing solidly behind Lord Irvine, despite mounting political pressure and a deep unease among many lawyers.

Mr Boateng criticised Tory attacks

Downing Street has dismissed suggestions that Lord Irvine should resign.

With the Commons not sitting this week, an attempt was made by Tory peers to raise what they are calling the "cash for wigs" affair in the Lords on Monday. This was blocked by ministers but opposition peers will try again on Wednesday.

The incident, which has caused some disquiet among government backbenchers, is the latest allegation of sleaze to hit Labour following the Hinduja passport row that brought down Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson.

Home Office Minister Paul Boateng dismissed the suggestion that Lord Irvine had abused his role as "absolutely absurd".

He told BBC News that the office of lord chancellor had always combined political and judicial roles but these were kept completely separate.

He described Lord Irvine as an "exemplary politician and an exemplary lawyer".

But Tory chairman Michael Ancram accused Lord Irvine of breaching the trust placed in him and bringing the integrity of his office into question.

He urged Lord Irvine to resign from his post.

'Highly undesirable'

Speaking to BBC News, shadow lord chancellor Lord Kingsland said the issue was that Lord Irvine had to be seen to be acting with the utmost probity and that was what was being called into question by his conduct.

At the dinner, Lord Irvine's letter explained, the lawyers would be asked to pledge at least £200 "in order to secure a second term for Labour".

Mr Ancram has written to Prime Minister Tony Blair asking him to review Lord Irvine's position.

Michael Ancram urged Lord Irvine to consider his position

The Tory chairman said: "In order to protect the integrity of the office of lord chancellor, there is in my view no other option but for Lord Irvine to resign.

"I find it very difficult to see how a lord chancellor can claim to be independent when he is going out effectively as the begging boy for Labour."

Sir Michael Davis, a former High Court judge, said: "He has earned the ttitle lord banana skin."

He added: "He has done something that anybody must have realised was totally wrong. He must not solicit money from anyone he could give an appointment to."

Overhaul

The row has added fresh impetus for the office of lord chancellor to be overhauled.

Many believe that the office should be replaced by a ministry of justice headed by an MP who is accountable to the Commons, as opposed to the Lords.

Labour peer Baroness Kennedy said the row showed the role of the lord chancellor needed to change.

"Most people would say there has been absolutely no wrongdoing here.

"The problem is there is a blurring of the lines."