FRESH details about the Ecclestone affair – New Labour's first sleaze scandal – have been revealed in Whitehall documents.
Previously secret papers showed that Tony Blair personally intervened to secure Formula One's exemption from a tobacco advertising ban just hours after meeting the sport's boss, Bernie Ecclestone.
The government has always maintained that the meet
ing did not influence the final decision over the exemption
but the briefing notes prepared by officials raise questions about Mr Blair's account.
They reportedly show that Mr Blair instructed his chief of staff to signal his support for a derogation just hours after meeting Mr Ecclestone on 16 October, 1997. The following day, Downing Street wrote to public health minister Tessa Jowell stating: "The Prime Minister would like your ministers to look for ways of finding a permanent derogation for sport, in particular F1."
On 24 October, Ms Jowell wrote back setting out possible options which included alternatives such as a longer phase-in period for the ban.
Five days later, she received a letter insisting: "His (the Prime Minister's] view remains that we should seek to negotiate a permanent exemption for Formula 1, backed up by a voluntary agreement with the FIA."
After that, Ms Jowell wrote to the EU seeking a total exemption for Formula One.
The full article contains 218 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
