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Blair urged health ministers to grant Formula One exemption

12/10/2008

Tony Blair urged health ministers to follow his policy during the Formula One tobacco advertising controversy, it has emerged.

In 1997, a scandal emerged after New Labour granted Formula One an exemption from a ban on tobacco advertising. Tony Blair's image of an honest politician came into question after it was revealed that he had met with Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone, a key Labour donor, prior to the decision being made.

The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reports that documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show the former prime minister urged health ministers to exempt Formula One from a ban on advertising soon after his meeting with Mr Ecclestone.

Briefing notes prepared by staff working for then public health minister Tessa Jowell and chief of staff Jonathan Powell indicate that action had been taken to insure an exemption hours after the meeting and that an official letter had been sent from the prime minister to Ms Jowell the next day.

The day after meeting, Ms Jowell was sent a note saying: "The prime minister would like your ministers to look for ways of finding a permanent derogation for sport in particular, F1."

Ms Jowell replied setting out alternatives to the exemption but was sent another letter five days later saying: "His view (the prime minister's) view remains that we should seek to negotiate a permanent exemption for Formula 1, backed up by a voluntary agreement with the FIA," according to the Sunday Telegraph.

A letter was then sent by Ms Jowell to the European Union seeking a total exemption from Formula One.

During the controversy, Mr Blair also made a personal appearance on BBC's On The Record programme denying that lobbying had influenced the decision and insisting he was a "pretty straight sort of guy".

Previously, Tony Blair's government has said that the decision on tobacco advertising in Formula One was taken 19 days after the meeting. However, the Sunday Telegraph reports that other briefing notes indicate that journalists had been informed that a decision had taken between one and two weeks after the meeting.

A spokesman for the ex-head of government told the paper there was nothing new in the allegations and that all the information was already in the public domain.