... about his financial battle with a rival company. Smith resigned while Hamilton decided to stay in office and fight his case with the backing of the Prime Minister John Major. Major had in fact asked Cabinet Secretary Robin Butler to conduct an inquiry into the allegations three weeks earlier when the information had been given to him privately. More details emerged a week later, when Hamilton and his wife were alleged to have stayed at al Fayed's Paris Ritz, running up a bill worth thousands of pounds, for free. John Major announced to the Commons that Hamilton had resigned and set up an inquiry headed by Lord Nolan. Hamilton was not punished and this led Labour MP's to boycott a final session of a Committee on Members' Interests in protest. Hamilton lost his seat in the Labour 1997 landslide victory, losing to Martin Bell, an Independent. Despite this scandal and other ...

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