Mandelson fails to overturn Hinduja ruling

New documents provided by the former Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Peter Mandelson will not alter the key findings of the Hinduja…

New documents provided by the former Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Peter Mandelson will not alter the key findings of the Hinduja passport applications affair.

Britain’s former treasury solicitor Sir Anthony Hammond said the new material did not change his view that it was likely that he phoned then-Home Office minister Mr Mike O'Brien about the application.

But Mr Hammond repeated his finding that neither Mr Mandelson nor Mr O'Brien had acted with impropriety of any sort over the case.

Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair ordered Mr Hammond to reopen the inquiry after Mr Mandelson found the documents.

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Mr Mandelson believed they cleared him of any suspicion that he tried to influence the Home Office to grant a British passport to Indian tycoon Srichand Hinduja in 1998.

PA