Hain denies offering MP a peerage

Peter Hain, the Welsh Secretary, has angrily denied that he had offered the late Labour rebel Peter Law a peerage to induce him not to stand in the general election - on the Prime Minister's authority.

The claim was made by the Welsh nationalist MP, Elfyn Llwyd. Mr Law, who died last month and was buried yesterday, stood as an independent in last year's election, humiliating Labour in one of its safest seats.

Mr Law denied he was offered a peerage when he appeared on ITV Wales' political programme Waterfront in December last year. Mr Law said: "No one ever offered me a job in the House of Lords and no one ever offered me any other jobs."

Mr Hain called the claim a "preposterous lie". He said it was made "on a day when he [Mr Llwyd] didn't even bother to ask me what the truth was or inform me that he was going to do it".