It was bad enough that prominent Labour donor Lord Alli was given an access-all-areas pass to Downing Street and was allowed to throw a jolly party there for friends and fellow fundraisers.
Now we discover the TV magnate has also been making recommendations for key public appointments which are meant to be filled by an ‘open and transparent’ process.
Lord Alli is said to have been working with senior party officials since early this year to compile a list of placemen and women to fill high-profile roles due to come vacant in the life of this Parliament.
Straight out of the Tony Blair playbook, this strategy is to ensure that institutions and quangos – the BBC, independent watchdogs, NHS etc – are stuffed with Labour sympathisers.
In an Orwellian twist, it is said to have been codenamed ‘Operation Integrity’.
In opposition, Sir Keir pledged a ‘total crackdown on cronyism’. In government, he is doing the exact opposite
Lord Alli is said to have been working with senior party officials since early this year to compile a list of placemen and women to fill high-profile roles
So how did this man achieve so much influence? No one elected him. He has no mandate, no expertise in filling such important positions.
His only qualification appears to be having given at least £500,000 to the party and provided Sir Keir with a range of snappy suits and new spectacles to help his image during the election campaign.
In opposition, Sir Keir pledged a ‘total crackdown on cronyism’. In government, he is doing the exact opposite.
This is just the latest example of jobs for the boys (and girls). A string of other donors, activists and aides having been given plum public roles, including several in the supposedly neutral civil service.
As ever, Sir Keir rejects accusations of cronyism, saying: ‘We want the best people in the best posts.’ Yes, but only if they support the Labour Party.
Don’t cave on Chagos
When it comes to faraway places, the Chagos archipelago is in a league of its own. Marooned in the vastness of the Indian Ocean this sprinkling of coral atolls sits 1,000 miles south of the Indian sub-continent and covers just 23 square miles.
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But remote as these tiny islands are, they are at the centre of a bitter and complex post-colonial feud, in which it’s feared Britain is about to hoist the white flag – to the horror of the US and delight of China.
For administrative convenience, the islands were placed under the banner of Mauritius during the colonial era, even though it is 1,300 miles away.
Since 1967 the largest, Diego Garcia, has been the site of a key UK/US military complex. It was used as an allied air base during the Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and remains of huge importance.
At independence in 1968, Britain retained the islands, paying Mauritius £3million compensation and helped the resident population of around 1,000 Chagossians to resettle elsewhere, including Britain.
An undated file photo shows Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base
Mauritius – supported by the UN – now wants the archipelago back, claiming to represent the interests of the displaced residents as well as its own.
Negotiations have so far stalled but the sudden appointment of Tony Blair’s former right-hand man Jonathan Powell as a special envoy to the talks has led many to fear a capitulation is in the offing.
With China expanding relentlessly and investing heavily in Mauritius, the Americans are naturally horrified at the prospect of losing the base and their foothold in the region.
To sell our closest ally down the river would be a huge and dangerous mistake. Misplaced colonial guilt cannot be allowed to trump Britain’s strategic interests.
