From the Guardian:

“Police have arrested a former government adviser as part of their inquiry into the “cash-for-honours” affair. Police sources have told the Guardian that the man is 60-year-old Des Smith, a headteacher in Dagenham and a former government adviser, although there has been no official confirmation…The arrest by the specialist crime directorate appears to undermine Labour’s claim, unveiled in a secret briefing obtained by Guardian Unlimited last week, that “nothing will flow” from the police investigation. The arrest was made for an offence under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. The investigation is being led by the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, John Yates, who has said he is prepared to widen the investigation to consider more general allegations of corruption. It followed reports that the House of Lords appointments commission had blocked the appointment of four of Tony Blair’s nominations for peerages – all wealthy businessmen who had made loans to Labour. “