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The Hinduja passport affair was back in the news on Sunday with a British daily reporting that the opposition Conservatives want a fresh inquiry into the matter despite previous inquiries failing to establish any link between the grant of British passports to the brothers and their £1 million donation to the Millennium Dome.
The largely circulated tabloid Sunday Express claimed that after its investigation, a spokesman for Lord Levy, Prime Minister Tony Blair's personal envoy to the Middle East and chief fund-raiser, confirmed that he was acting on the prime minister's behalf.
"The Prime Minister asked me to speak to Peter Mandelson, the minister in-charge of the Dome, in order to help in the raising of funds for the Faith Zone. As a result, I met the Hindujas at the House of Lords on October 29, 1998," Lord Levy told the newspaper in a statement.
"The Dome was indisputably a major government project, which obviously the Prime Minister was supporting and was therefore going to be grateful for any help or support that might be offered," the statement said.
The Labour Party has previously denied Blair's involvement in the affair.
But the Conservatives are now preparing to raise questions in the House of Commons this week about Lord Levy's role, increasing pressure on the prime minister to sack him as his personal envoy to the Middle East, the report said.
Shadow cabinet office minister Tim Collins said on Saturday night: "This damaging new revelation gives rise to even more serious questions about the role of Lord Levy and Tony Blair's extraordinary decision to appoint an unelected Labour fundraiser to an important role on British foreign policy.
"A genuinely independent and immediate investigation both into the Hinduja passport affair and into the wider role of Lord Levy is now essential."
Former civil servant Sir Anthony Hammond's inquiry report had stated that the home office complied with official policy in granting British citizenship to the Hindujas.
PTI
EARLIER REPORTS: Blair welcomes second report on Hinduja passport affair Hinduja case: New inquiry also clears Mandelson Blair defends Hinduja passport Hindujas happy with Hammond report Inquiry clears Peter Mandelson Hindujas' passports will be declared 'above board', say media reports Former British PM says he supported Hinduja's passport bid
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