MICHAEL Martin, the Commons Speaker, yesterday promised to look into reports that Tony Blair had "deliberately misled" parliament.
Tory MPs John Maples and Peter Luff told the House that documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed the former prime minister had lied about his involvement in the "Ecclestone affair".
They said the papers disclosed that Mr
Blair personally intervened to secure Formula 1's exemption from a tobacco advertising ban just hours after meeting the sport's chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone.
The government has always maintained that the meeting did not influence the final decision over the exemption – even though Mr Ecclestone was a Labour party donor at the time.
Raising points of order, Mr Maples told Mr Martin: "This House must assert its right to the truth from ministers.
"I wonder if you can tell me how we can amend our rules to achieve this?
"I urge you to give us a lead in this so that we can insist on full and truthful answers from ministers and a sanction against those who deceive us."
Mr Martin asked Mr Maples and Mr Luff to write to him so that his officials could look into the matter.
He said: "I am deeply concerned that two honourable members have said they were deliberately misled. And albeit that the person concerned is out of the House, I am deeply concerned about that matter."
Mr Maples told the Speaker: "Documents published this weekend show that we were deliberately misled in this House by the then prime minister about the Ecclestone affair in November 1997.
"The documents show the prime minister had decided on 16 October of that year to seek a derogation from Formula 1 on the tobacco advertising ban – and that was immediately after he met Mr Ecclestone.
"In his answer to the House, he stated that no decision had been made on 16 October."
The full article contains 319 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
