Does Downing Street Think It is Above the Law?

There are two issues at the moment that are really asking questions of the Downing Street machine.

The first is the decision to call off the investigation into alleged paying of bribes by BAe Systems, which was done for public interest reasons. It is totally wrong for politicians of any sort to interfere in legal processes in this way, but Tony Blair seems to consider it a minor issue. On the surface this seems to have been done to pacify the Saudi Government, but it could easily be suggested that the decision was as much about pacifying BAe Systems who have, in the past, made noises about pulling out of all UK defence work because of the difficulties with delivering projects to time and budget.

The second is the allegation that is doing the rounds this morning that documents have gone missing and that they are not co-operating fully with the Loans for Peerages investigation.

At the heart of both of these issues is Lord Goldsmith. He has agreed with Blair about calling off the BAe Systems investigation and will still potentially have the final say over whether Blair is prosecuted over Cash for Peerages. This adds ammunition to the argument that Goldsmith should have no say on the latter.

In the past the accusations about the Spin Machine were about the way it was manipulating the political system. Now there is a strong suggestion that, on more than one issue, they are manipulating the law. Another nail in the coffin of British politics?