Seats for peerages row hits Blair

Blair denies deal on peerages

		By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

Tony Blair is facing a grassroots backlash over claims he is offering peerages to MPs if they make way for his chosen candidates.

Backbenchers have become increasingly concerned at suggestions the prime minister is "parachuting" his favoured people into safe seats at the last minute.

The row started at the beginning of the campaign when it became clear Labour bosses were looking for seats for the likes of former Tory MP Shaun Woodward, Gordon Brown's advisor Ed Balls, and Downing Street policy guru David Miliband.

Then it broke fully into the open when veteran MP Gerry Bermingham sprung the last-minute announcement he was standing down from his St Helens South seat.

Bermingham suddenly quit

Because of the late timing, Labour HQ had the power to impose a shortlist of election candidates on the constituency.

Mr Woodward, whose butler and millionaire lifestyle seem hugely out of place in the working class constituency, was included and, after a bitter internal row, won the candidacy by just four votes.

No deals

Both Mr Bermingham and Labour leaders have flatly denied there is any deal.

But many on all sides now expect to see Mr Bermingham elevated to the Lords.

All eyes are now on the future of other old-stagers to see who will be the next to stand down and make way for one of the new favourites.

Mr Miliband has already been selected for the South Shields seat recently vacated by former minister David Clark.

But Mr Balls, and undoubtedly others, are still waiting.

And, while Mr Blair continues to deny any deals, others have now spoken out - saying that is precisely what happened to them.

Fisher "rejected peerage"

Backbencher Mark Fisher recently claimed he was offered a peerage to go, but flatly refused.

And others have revealed they were offered, and accepted peerages before the last general election.

Blair favourite

Former Tory MP Alan Howarth defected to Labour but had real problems finding a safe seat until Roy Hughes stood down in Newport East, and he was home dry.

Lord Islwyn, as Mr Hughes now is, has just revealed he had asked for a peerage before standing down and Mr Blair sent him a message agreeing.

John, now Lord Gilbert, has also claimed he did exactly the same deal to make way for a Blair favourite.

Initially he was expected to make way for the prime minister's long-time friend Charles Falconer but the local party rejected him.

The seat is now held by the solicitor general Ross Cranston.

Some are claiming this is another example of Labour sleaze - and that is an issue that can still rattle the prime minister.

When he was swept into Downing Street at the last election it was due, in part, to Tory sleaze.

Thanks to Neil Hamilton's brown envelopes and Jonathan Aitken's attempt to get his daughter to lie in court for him, John Major's party was fatally tarnished.

And Mr Blair lost no time in driving home his advantage and pledging to clean up politics.

Tatton deal

Most notably there was the deal done with the Liberal Democrats to stand aside in Tatton to allow Martin Bell to challenge, and beat, Mr Hamilton.

Robinson claims angered Blair

Mr Bell is now standing against Tory Eric Pickles, claiming a religious sect has infiltrated Brentwood and Ongar party and undermined democracy.

So, against this background, it was probably no surprise that the prime minister became noticeably irritated when he was persistently questioned about alleged Labour sleaze at the start of the second week of the election campaign.

The sleaze allegations mostly involve the behaviour of Europe minister Keith Vaz and former paymaster general Geoffrey Robinson - both of whom still face questions over their business dealings.

But the prime minister's angry insistence they should not be forced to stand down as candidates, because allegations against them had not been proven, infuriated the opposition.

They pointed out that his words defied the fact that both had been criticised by Commons watchdogs - Mr Robinson for misleading them and Mr Vaz for refusing to co-operate with their inquiries.

Most would hesitate to claim the alleged seat-fixing was an issue of sleaze.

But the fear is that the two issues are combining to cast a shadow over Labour's once squeaky-clean image.

It is clearly a row that will continue to rumble on - and will probably continue to irritate Mr Blair during interviews.