Were the rules of the Blairs blind trust broken?
Evidence: The 2001 ministerial code of conduct states that ministers can put financial interests into a blind trust to be managed by external advisers in order to avoid any suggestion of conflict of interest. The proceeds of the Blairs’ sale of their Islington house, and some other assets including their Sedgefield home, are held in a blind trust managed by two trustees. The Bristol flats were bought in the name of the trust. Mrs Blair clearly knew of their acquisition, though as a private citizen she is, according to Downing Street, not bound by the code. Sir Andrew gave the prime minister a clean bill of health yesterday. Verdict: If the prime minister did know of the purchase, he broke the letter but not spirit of the code governing blind trusts. If he did not know, it appears the code has not been broken, though arguably the Blairs could have clarified their actions in relation to the code before the affair blew up rather than afterwards. Did Mrs Blair lobby Whitehall officials to
