Downing Street confirms details of Blair holiday
Downing Street has said that the prime minister is paying for the holiday that he is currently enjoying with his family in Egypt.
The sudden disclosure follows recent questions over a vacation in France two years ago, which Tony Blair failed to declare in the MPs’ register of interests. Under parliamentary rules, MPs must declare information about any “material benefit which … might reasonably be thought by others to influence his or her actions, speeches or votes”.
Speaking on Tuesday, a No 10 spokesman said: “As with previous years when he has stayed in Egypt the Prime Minister is paying for his accommodation.”
The announcement followed today’s call from Tory MP Chris Grayling for the prime minister to reveal who was footing the bill for the trip.
The MP for Epsom and Ewell has complained to Parliament’s standards watchdog, demanding to know why Mr Blair failed to declare a vacation at the French chateau of tobacco magnate, Alain Dominique Perrin in 2002.
“People are fed up with their Prime Minister accepting free holiday after free holiday,” ITV News reports Mr Grayling as saying.
Officials at No 10 had previously refused to discuss details of Mr Blair’s current Egyptian holiday with journalists and had refused to confirm reports that he is staying in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik.
The prime minister attracted criticism when he stayed at the resort three years ago as a guest of the Egyptian taxpayer.
Mr Blair has since paid for two further visits.
Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Sir Philip Mawer has written to the prime minister following Mr Grayling’s complaint concerning Mr Blair’s failure to declare his break at the French home of Mr Perrin and one at the Tuscan villa of Prince Girolamo Strozzi.
“Anything that needs to be registered will be registered” a Downing Street spokeswoman said on Saturday night, confirming that Sir Philip’s letter to the prime minister would be answered “in due course.”
