David Cameron defended his decision to order an investigation into the conduct of Baroness Warsi amid accusations of double standards.
Tory MPs spoke out yesterday in support of Lady Warsi, the Tory co-chairman, saying that she had been guilty of an “extraordinarily minor” breach of official rules by taking a business associate on a government trip to Pakistan.
The Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke, attacked the media for subjecting Cabinet ministers to a “lynch mob”, dismissing some allegations levelled against Lady Warsi as “downright silly”. He told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “I am astonished by some of the complaints against her. It really is pedantic.”
The Prime Minister asked Sir Alex Allan, his independent adviser on ministers’ interests, to review Lady Warsi’s behaviour after she admitted making the trip with Abid Hussain, her husband’s second cousin. She and Mr Hussain both held minority stakes in the food company Rupert’s Recipes.
The decision came only days after Mr Cameron refused to sanction a similar probe into Jeremy Hunt’s handling of News Corporation’s £8 billion bid for BSkyB. The Leveson inquiry has published several texts and e-mails between Mr Hunt’s office and News Corp’s main lobbyist. Mr Hunt’s special adviser resigned over the revelations.
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Pressure on Mr Hunt and the Prime Minister is expected to continue into next week, when Labour will hold a Commons vote calling for the Culture Secretary to be referred to Sir Alex.
Michael Dugher, the Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, said the investigation into Lady Warsi “only exposes David Cameron’s failure to act in relation to Jeremy Hunt”.
But Mr Cameron said that they were “two very different cases”. He added: “In the case of Jeremy Hunt, obviously all of that was fully gone through by the Leveson inquiry. In the case of Sayeeda Warsi, I’m very happy with the explanation which she’s given and she’s apologised for the mistake which she made. But I think it’s right just for Alex Allan to see if there are any loose ends which need to be picked up. It’s no more than that.”
Mr Clarke said that although he had not discussed the matter with the Prime Minister, he presumed Lady Warsi was treated differently to Mr Hunt as she had not given evidence to the Leveson inquiry.
Lady Warsi’s position had already been under threat. She has been criticised over her performance as the Tory co-chairman and faces an investigation over expenses claims.
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Louise Mensch, the Tory MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, defended her, saying: “The issue here is extraordinarily minor. But it does exist and on that basis there was no choice for the Prime Minister in referring it to Sir Alex Allan.”
However, Lady Warsi also faced calls from her own party to stand down while the investigation took place. Nadine Dorries, the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, added that she thought Lady Warsi was “probably completely innocent”.