Vaz hands Blair a new headache

Vaz is back under the spotlight

By BBC News Online's political correspondent Nick Assinder

Controversial minister Keith Vaz is coming under powerful new pressure to resign after it was announced he was facing another probe by sleaze watchdog Elizabeth Filkin.

Just as Tony Blair started to believe the "Vaz story" was going away, the parliamentary standards commissioner said she was holding yet another inquiry into his affairs.

This one centres around claims that the controversial Hinduja brothers - who were at the centre of the earlier cash-for-passports row - had donated cash to a company set up by Mr Vaz and whose directors include his mother and sister.

Once again the beleaguered minister has insisted he has done no wrong and stresses that he has been cleared by previous inquiries.

And, once again, Downing Street has said that the prime minister is standing by his minister.

Tony Blair's spokesmen have time and again said that Mr Vaz has answered every allegation put to him and that he still retains the prime minister's full confidence.

Indeed there is an underlying suggestion that the minister has been the victim of a racially-inspired campaign.

But it is one thing for the government to dismiss allegations from newspapers - particularly unsympathetic ones - but it is far less easy to dismiss Ms Filkin.

Clean bill of health

Despite Mr Vaz's persistent claims that she gave him a clean bill of health after her last investigation, she was deeply unhappy with the way he responded to her inquiries.

In her recent report into his affairs she attacked him for refusing to fully cooperate - particularly over his relationship to the company at the centre of the new investigation.

And now she has agreed to hold a second inquiry in which he will be expected to answer the questions he had previously refused to address.

Sleaze charges

There is no chance that the new probe will be completed before the looming general election, so its conclusions will have no direct effect on the poll.

But the danger for Tony Blair is that it keeps the "Vaz story" alive and will allow the Tories to continue claiming his government is sleazy.

His dilemma now, as ever, is whether to sack Mr Vaz, even though he believes him innocent of wrongdoing, or to stick by him until the final verdict comes in. Either way, the story is unlikely to go away.

Mr Blair's best bet is probably to stand back, insist he will await the outcome of yet another inquiry, and hope the noise of a general election campaign will drown out the Vaz affair.