The Political Quiz Show to end careers begins soon. Nervous millionaires are consulting their solicitors and getting their stories straight. Theatre producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh is widely quoted as saying he was offered a peerage in return for a loan – he wisely turned down the opportunity. Yates is likely to add him to the list in his notebook.

Guido understands that interviews, under caution, will begin next week, tactfully after Thursday’s local elections. Rumour has it that one donor in particular may cough, if the right assurances are given.

Guido is lovin’ it.

Peter Oborne in the Spectator tells us of a tragedy that has befallen the Sleaze Master General:

…it emerges that the Marylebone offices of the New Labour treasurer, Lord Levy, have been devastated by a mysterious fire. This took place last November, well before the police investigation began and around the time the House of Lords Appointments Commission raised the first queries concerning Tony Blair’s list. When I rang Downing Street for a reassurance that no papers relevant to the police investigation had been destroyed, I was informed that ‘that is a matter for Lord Levy’.

What a tragic loss that must be for Lord Levy, no doubt losing important documents will complicate things for those trying to piece together his dealings. Guido thinks that the fire stinks, and that the smell isn’t smoke.

First Capita’s boss Rod Aldridge quits, now another friend of Lord Levy has jumped. It is getting pretty nerve wracking for friends of the Sleaze Master General. Police are investigating the £1m loan to the Labour party made weeks before John Prescott approved plannning permission for his firms £500m property development. Andrew Rosenfeld is to be interviewed by the Yard’s sleaze busting team of detectives about the circumstances of his generosity and fortuitous planning approval.

Pure coincidence says Prescott. No comment says Blair.

Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist at the centre of a Washington corruption scandal, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison yesterday.

Just goes to show that no matter how close to the powerful you are, no matter how well connected you are, the criminal justice system can’t be spun as easily as newspaper headlines.

How long before we see Levy do the “perp walk”?

Seems to Guido that the wrong questions are being asked, Prescott in all likelihood did not know about the loans to the property developers. Lord Levy on the other hand mixes in the same social circles as Sir David Garrard and Andrew Rosenfeld, the property millionaires behind Minerva.

Sleazy Levy would know that they were risking millions on getting government approval, they would therefore be vulnerable to an approach from the Labour party’s fundraiser – well, if you have a £600 million property development resting on government approval what is a £3 million “loan”? It represents less than 1/2% of the development cost.

Capita with billions in government contracts would also be vulnerable, we all know you “do not to ask for credit because refusal often offends”. What businessman would want to offend their biggest customer, even if as Labour claims it was unlikely to make any real difference, would you as CEO want to risk offending the source of more than half your revenues? Rod Aldridge didn’t approach Labour with an offer to help, they approached him – “The Labour Party came to me last year in need of financial support following the costs incurred at the last general election”, he said.

Businessman are cynical about politicians, most would view such an approach as a shakedown, but what real choice would they have?