Black Rod row escalates

The row over the Queen Mother's lying in state today widened to snare a growing number of Cabinet ministers, including some of Tony Blair's closest allies.

Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine was sucked into Mr Blair's efforts to escape the charges that Downing Street had sought to give him a greater role in the ceremony. And others, including Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid and Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett, were propelled to the front line to defend the Prime Minister.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was the first to be dragged in when he volunteered that it was he who had suggested that Mr Blair walk to the ceremony rather than travel by car. The proposal for a change in plan, even as the cortege was heading for Westminster, blew a gaping hole in the claim from No 10 that no attempt was ever made to alter the arrangements.

The suggestion was said to have drawn a furious response from Black Rod, the official in charge, when it was relayed to him as he waited in Westminster Hall. He reportedly replied that he would advise strongly against it, adding: "This is completely crazy and will backfire badly."

An embarrassed Lord Irvine was said to have told him defensively: "It's not Tony, it's his aides." The Tories, on the warpath as never before, were demanding that the Prime Minister come to the Commons to make a statement to MPs and counter charges that No 10 had tarnished the reputation of his office.

At the same time there was growing controversy over the conduct of Black Rod, Sir Michael Willcocks. The Times alleged that the conduct of Sir Michael, who is in charge of relations between the Palace and Westminster, was causing concern to the Queen. It reported a senior courtier as saying: "There is real concern that a member of the Royal Household is behaving in a partisan political fashion. The Queen is unhappy that the memory of her mother's funeral is being tarnished by this squabble. If he is cooperating with the press, you have to ask what the hell he is playing at?"

There was growing pressure today to publish the "killer memo" Sir Michael submitted to the Press Complaints Commission, detailing the contacts between Downing Street and his office in the run-up to the lying in state.

It was this document, contradicting the Downing Street version of events, which apparently forced Mr Blair and his communications chief, Alastair Campbell, to drop their complaint to the PCC against the Evening Standard, the Mail on Sunday and The Spectator.

Sir Michael is said to claim that No 10 exerted "sustained and constant pressure" to try to win changes to the lying in state ceremony. No 10 aides were said to have asked: "What's the PM's role?" And: "Won't the PM be meeting the coffin?" And: "Surely the PM greets the Queen?"

No 10 again insisted that the queries to Sir Michael's office had been entirely to establish what was the proper procedure. Ms Beckett said it was ludicrous to suggest that the Prime Minister should make a Commons statement. And Dr Reid, dismissed the criticisms as "playground gossip".

Worried ministers and Labour MPs acknowledged, however, that the Government showed no sign of winning free of the row, whether the charges were true or not.

Comment: Blair's most dangerous moment
Peter Oborne writes
Opinion: Spin comes home to roost