The Guardian: Downing Street forced to reveal secret meetings

[dw]

By Rob Evans and David Leigh, Tuesday March 16, 2004 in The Guardian

In a victory for freedom of information, the parliamentary ombudsman has forced Tony Blair to reveal his pattern of meetings with commercial lobbyists. This has been a fiercely preserved Downing Street secret, which critics argue has long tainted democratic government in Britain.

Ann Abraham, the ombudsman, has found No 10 guilty of unjustifiably keeping secret contacts between ministers and commercial companies who are seeking to influence them. Her ruling follows separate complaints from the Guardian and the Liberal Democrats.

As a result of the verdict, Downing Street has been compelled to admit that a Labour donor met the prime minister at a sensitive time when he was seeking to win a lucrative contract from the government.

Dr Paul Drayson, who donated £100,000 to Labour, provoked controversy when the government awarded his company PowderJect, without any competition, a £32m contract to produce smallpox vaccine.

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Sound familiar? Hear those footsteps, Dick? They're getting closer. It's only a matter of time. dw

[tlcandie]

1. How horrible !!! You would think the poodle would be humiliated!

NOT! OH and he's meeting * this weekend is that right? Teehee!!!! Just in time for some of this negative stuff to rub off on the W!!!

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Gee, this is business as usual for the Republicans.

If we were to investigate all the times that there was a perception of impropriety between Republican public officials and members of the private sector, the position of special prosecutor would be the one occupation that would see the most job growth.

[frank frankly]

3. zing!!!

you said it, Backlash!

LOL!