Second top Blair aide questioned by police over cash for honours

A second senior aide to Tony Blair has been questioned by the police under caution in the cash- for-honours affair.

John McTernan, the Prime Minster's director of political operations, has been interviewed by Scotland Yard over links between Labour's financial backers and honours granted by Mr Blair.

Mr McTernan is understood to have been questioned in the past 10 days by Metropolitan Police investigating claims that honours were granted to Labour donors and those who lent the party huge sums of money before the last election campaign. The disclosure will place fresh pressure on Mr Blair and increase speculation that he is to be questioned personally by the police in the coming weeks.

Mr McTernan is one of the Prime Minster's closest aides and works as a key liaison between Downing Street and the Labour Party. He is thought to have been involved in the preparation of names to be nominated by Mr Blair for peerages.

The police are believed to have interviewed Mr McTernan on the same day as Ruth Turner, No 10's director of government relations, who has also been questioned under caution. The interviews follow emails seized by police.

Mr McTernan worked as a special adviser to Harriet Harman in the Department of Social Security, then as head of strategy for Scotland's former first minister, Henry McLeish. He once described working in government as like being in an episode of the West Wing.

Last week, the tycoon Sir Christopher Evans was questioned about whether he had been offered an honour after agreeing to loan the party money. Sir Christopher, who was not on the last honours list, has expressed dismay at being arrested after he answered police questions willingly. Lord Levy, the Prime Minister's fundraiser, has also been interviewed. Both men are understood to have had DNA swabs taken and their genetic details placed on a DNA database.