Monday, July 07, 2003

Strip Blair of Power to Appoint His 'Cronies' to Top Jobs, MPs Demand by Marie Woolf 07 Jul 03 Tony Blair should be stripped of his power to appoint his friends and Labour 'cronies' to influential public posts, a powerful committee of MPs will recommend this week. After a year-long inquiry, the committee is to demand an end to the 'closed shop' that gives Mr Blair and ministers the right to make personal appointments to some of the most powerful posts in the land, including governors of the BBC. It will say that posts such as membership of the House of Commons Committee on Standards in Public Life, which roots out sleaze among MPs, and the Intelligence and Security Commission should not be made by the Prime Minister but by an independent body. American-style hearings should also be held to ensure that the jobs are filled by people who are independent minded. The report by the House of Commons Public Administration Committee is likely to prove embarrassing for the Prime Minister. It follows controversy over the appointment of several Labour supporters to top jobs, including Greg Dyke as director general of the BBC and Trevor Phillips as chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality. [Independent/UK] 7:51:59 AM  Google It!