Could Blair’s next interview be “under caution”?

The paper goes on to suggest that the Prime Minister could face a third interview. Explaining the events of the past week the papers says “It was the McTernan breakthrough that led to Miss Turner and then Lord Levy being arrested in the past two weeks. In between those arrests Mr Blair was secretly quizzed at No 10. The new developments came after the News of the World revealed that a mole at the heart of Downing Street told of secretly deleted emails and memos that proved at least two people had been lying to police — that mole was McTernan.”

The only poll this morning appears to be an ICM survey in the Sunday Express which found that 56% of the public wants him to go now, with 37% backing him to stay. Amongst Labour supporters, the proportion calling for an early departure was 43%.

These numbers are not overwhelming and are certainly not deemed important enough to get into the top half of the paper’s front page!

The proportions are pretty much in line with other ICM polls in recent months. In September the pollster found 50% saying they wanted Blair out then or before the May 3rd elections and 55% saying the departure should take place before the next Labour conference.

There’s support for the Blair in an editorial in the Observer. This states; “Mr Blair’s departure date is roughly known. It may not come soon enough for some, too soon for others. But that is a matter of partisan opinion, not moral imperative. John Yates has been given ample freedom to do his job as a policeman. As long as there is no evidence of wrongdoing, Mr Blair should be allowed the same freedom to get on with his job as elected Prime Minister.”

Mike Smithson