London
Prime Minister Tony Blair was in the hot seat this week over allegations that he intended to give peerages to four millionaires in exchange for secret loans to his Labor Party. One of the lenders, restaurateur Sir Gulam Noon, who is known as “the curry tycoon,” has withdrawn his name from consideration for a seat in the House of Lords; the others are expected to follow. But the scandal has taken its toll. When Blair became prime minister, in 1997, after ousting the corruption-plagued Conservatives, he promised to run an administration that was “purer than pure.” But a poll this week showed that nearly three-fourths of voters believe his government is “as sleazy or sleazier” than its predecessor.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's oppositionThe Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
-
How the woke right gained power in the USUnder the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
