Resistance by Lord Irvine, the Lord Chancellor, on behalf of judges in England and Wales, has already forced the Home Secretary to water down his proposals.Lord Bingham told the Commons home affairs select committee yesterday: "Our position is and has always been that no one has ever been able to suggest that there has ever been a vestige of evidence that any judge in any case ever in this country has been diverted from his duty by any conflict arising from Freemasonic association."Mr Straw is also to ask the United Grand Lodge - which represents 340,000 Freemasons in England and Wales - to publish regional lists of Masons who are already judges, and others working in the criminal justice system, such as the police. If it refuses, as appears likely, he will create a voluntary registration scheme and, if that fails, the Government will legislate to make registration compulsory.Lord Bingham said he would not favour a voluntary declaration by judges "because in the absence of any reason to make one's private associations public, one should be entitled to keep them private." The Judges' Council - a meeting of the top 15 or so judges in Britain - will convene today to discuss the matter.Lord Bingham argued that Freemason membership among the judiciary was "minute" and that there was no question of judges having a higher loyalty to the "brotherhood".Chris Mullin, chairman of the home affairs committee, said: "It does not surprise me at all to learn that the judges are likely to be hostile to any thought of disclosure. But it does rather destroy the image that they like to create that they are modern and out-going."He added: "We cannot have one law for the toffs and one for everyone else.". AS THE White House fought to undermine the credibility of Kathleen Willey, the latest accuser in the Clinton sexgate imbroglio, poll figures released yesterday suggested that the President's own standing is being gravely eroded.
Six out of 10 Americans now consider that the President has engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment of women, according to an ABC TV poll published yesterday. Moreover, two-thirds said he should resign if he is shown to have lied under oath about the accumulating allegations. For the first time, important women on the political stage are beginning to voice reservations about Mr Clinton. Of Ms Willey's allegations, Patricia Schroeder, a former Colorado representative, said: "It really is sexual assault if what happened happened It makes my skin crawl". With little choice but to counter-punch, the White House released 15 notes and letters from Ms Willey to the President. Nine were sent after 29 November 1993, when Ms Willey says Mr Clinton fondled her, touching her breasts, kissing her and asking her to put her hands on his genitals.The missives suggest neither anger nor bitterness, but rather a continuing admiration for Mr Clinton. The letters also seek help in getting jobs in the administration In one Willey even asks to be given an ambassadorship. In November 1994, one year after the alleged assault, Willey wrote to commiserate about Republican gains in congressional elections "You have been on my mind so after this week There are so very many people who believe in you ...
Take heart in knowing that your No 1 fan thanks you every day".Bob Bennett, the President's lawyer, alleged that Willey attempted as recently as last week to sell an autobiography for a large sum to a publisher in Los Angeles. He also accused the media of rushing to judgement about her claims. "I believe that the name of the game here is not reaching the truth. The name of the game is to destroy the President," he said.In better news for the President, a CNN-USA Today poll showed 49 per cent wanting an end to press coverage of the sex allegations with only 44 per cent saying the media attention should continue.In The News, page 3.
