LETTERS
No redress
Sir: The allegation that Ian Greer acted as a conduit for bribes from Mr Al Fayed to Messrs Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith to get them to ask questions in Parliament appeared in the Guardian in October 1994. It was the culmination of a long campaign by that newspaper against Ian Greer Asso- ciates, of which I was a non-executive direc- tor from 1991 to 1996.
Mr Greer always denied these allegations and the board of IGA backed him. He has now been vindicated. The report of the Committee on Standards and Privileges states categorically that there is no evi- dence that either of the two MPs received cash from Mr Al Fayed indirectly through Jan Greer. He has always acknowledged that some years ago he did pay commission on new business referred, sometimes by MPs. There was nothing illegal in this — it was a common business practice and it was the responsibility of MPs to declare such payments, not that of Mr Greer.
The damage done by the Guardian's alle- gations was very considerable. IGA went out of business and its staff lost their jobs. As a director of IGA I was hounded by the press and had to stand down as a front- bench spokesperson for Labour in the House of Lords — despite the fact that my involvement with the company was well- known and properly declared. Even though my party's press statement made it clear that I had done nothing wrong, I was every- where described as 'disgraced' as if I were a fraudulent financier — and this after 35 years' dedicated service to the Labour movement.
The effect upon me was devastating. But there's no redress for someone who cannot afford to sue. There should be some means by which those who believe themselves injured can have their complaints indepen- dently examined. A Press Ombudsman, perhaps?
Turner of Camden
87 Canfield Gardens, London NW6
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