Lord Levy to quit envoy role when Blair stands down as PM

Lord Levy confirmed last night that he will quit as Tony Blair's special envoy to the Middle East when the Prime Minister steps down at the end of June.

The announcement immediately led to calls for Gordon Brown not to reappoint a Middle East envoy when he takes over from Mr Blair.

Lord Levy, 61, has been embroiled in controversy over his role as Labour's chief high-value fundraiser. He was arrested by Scotland Yard on suspicion of perverting the course of justice as part of the police investigation into cash-for-honours allegations. The file has been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service and a decision is still pending over whether he or others from No 10 should be charged. He denies any wrongdoing.

Despite the controversy over fundraising, Mr Blair stood by his embattled envoy and Gordon Brown praised his work in the Middle East in a private speech to Labour Friends of Israel. However, some ministers privately criticised his diplomatic role.

Richard Spring, a Conservative spokesman on foreign affairs, said: "I welcome his departure. We have some of the most skilled and distinguished diplomats in the world and t hey have been humiliated and sidelined by Lord Levy's antics in the Middle East. He has caused great embarrassment for this country in the Arab world and in Israel.

"If we are ever to recover credibility in the Middle East, the last thing we need is another special envoy. Gordon Brown should do away with the role."

Sir Menzies Campbell's chief of staff, Edward Davey MP, said: "With Lord Levy gone, the challenge will be for Gordon Brown to clean up the mess left by the cash-for-honours scandal and restore the public's faith in the political process.

"There was never any question that Lord Levy would go with his master. They worked so closely together and so many things were inseparable."

The Independent reported on 8 May that Lord Levy was preparing to quit at the same time as Mr Blair. Born in Hackney, east London, to immigrant parents of modest means, Lord Levy is a lifelong Labour supporter with Labour contacts in Israel. Lord Levy lives in a mansion in Totteridge, north London, with a swimming pool and tennis courts. He is a former accountant who went on to run a recording business that boasted the rock stars Alvin Stardust and Chris Rea. Lord Levy raised large sums of money for charity, and became one of Mr Blair's tennis partners.

A spokesman for Lord Levy said: "Lord Levy has been Tony Blair's personal envoy in the Middle East and in a number of other countries since 1998. He has always said that this role will end when Tony Blair leaves office. This has always been anticipated, and is no different to many other similar positions.

"He is deeply honoured and privileged to have served his country in the international arena for the past nine years and is grateful to the Prime Minister for this opportunity.

"He also pays tribute to the three foreign secretaries he has worked with - the late Robin Cook, Jack Straw and Margaret Beckett - and all the ambassadors and staff at the Foreign Office past and present for their tireless energy, hard work and support.

"Lord Levy thanks the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, for his recent kind remarks, and congratulates him on his appointment as Labour Party leader and wishes him well in all his future endeavours as Prime Minister."

* A poll showed Labour has narrowed the gap with the Tories since Mr Brown was confirmed as the new leader. It puts Labour on 32 per cent, up two points on last month. The Tories have fallen three points, to 34 per cent, while the Liberal Democrats remain unchanged on 21 per cent. The ICM poll for The Guardian also showed that 38 per cent of all voters want Mr Blair to go now rather than wait until 27 June.