Mother defends Blair's aide

Published on Thursday 8 March 2007 01:37

THE mother of Tony Blair's key aide, Ruth Turner, yesterday stepped into the cash for honours row to bemoan the stress and loneliness her daughter was suffering because of the affair.

Marie Turner told a newspaper of the "harrowing ordeal" her 36-year-old daughter was going through.

Mrs Turner, who lives in Connecticut in the US, said the Prime Minister's head of government relations was "above board, honest and her integrity is beyond reproach".

Ms Turner has again come under pressure after a document between her and Jonathan Powell, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, became the subject of a judicial row between the media and Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General and police.

Ms Turner has been arrested in connection with perverting the course of justice while Lord Levy was arrested in January on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and on possible infringements of honours and election laws. Both deny any wrongdoing.

Mrs Turner said it was "unimaginable" to think what her daughter must be going through.

"She has nobody to talk to, absolutely nobody to talk to at all. As far as we know this is one of the stresses for her.

"We are at a great distance and she cannot talk to either of us. She cannot even discuss with her parents what is going on.

"That leaves her to carry a heavy stress on her shoulders alone. I presume you are never more alone than when you are sitting in a police station."

Asked if her daughter was innocent, she replied: "Doesn't any mother think her daughter is incapable of criminal activity? We just have to sit tight and wait and see what comes out of this."

Meanwhile, Mr Blair came under attack from the SNP at Prime Minister's questions over the cash for peerages row.

Pete Wishart, an SNP MP, asked in what capacity Lord Levy had offered advice on honours; if it was as Middle East envoy to Mr Blair, his friend or "coincidentally" because the peer was "his chief fundraiser".

The Prime Minister accused the SNP of campaigning for May's elections on the basis of the London police inquiry into cash for honours.