WELSH Secretary Peter Hain was authorised by Tony Blair to offer a Labour rebel politician a peerage not to stand against the party, a North Wales MP claimed yesterday. Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd stunned Westminster by alleging Mr Hain offered Mr Law a seat in the House of Lords to persuade him not to contest the Blaenau Gwent seat at last year's general election. A furious Mr Hain accused the Meirionnydd Nant Conwy MP of "cowardice" for making the claim while he was at his father-in-law's funeral, and demanded an apology. Mr Law died last week aged 58 after a year-long battle with a brain tumour. He stood as an independent in the the South Wales seat, after a bitter row over all-women shortlists. His widow, Trish, claimed on Thursday that a "very high-ranking politician" had offered her husband a peerage not to stand. Mr Llwyd - Plaid's parliamentary leader - said Mr Law had repeated the claim to him in a Commons' tearoom.. Speaking yesterday in the Commons under the protection of parliamentary privilege, Mr Llwyd said: "New Labour, in an effort to prevent him from standing for Parliament, offered him a peer-age. "The man named as being responsible is the Secretary of State for Wales, who made the offer on the specific authority of the Prime Minister." | 
