Blairs' fixer 'drove without insurance or licence, while on a mobile phone'

The Blairs' controversial 'fixer' is to appear in court tomorrow accused of holding a mobile phone to her ear while driving uninsured and without a licence.

American Martha Greene, 51, who has lived in Britain for 20 years, could face a ban and up to £6,000 in fines.

She was stopped in her Mercedes in Central London last July - five months after Tony Blair's Government increased the penalty for drivers using a hand-held phone to a £60 fine and three penalty points.

But the case is only now coming before magistrates in Richmond.

Besides the alleged mobile-phone offence, Greene is accused of driving with only a provisional licence, without L-plates and an accompanying driver and while uninsured.

Driving without insurance carries a maximum £5,000 fine and six to eight points on a licence, while "driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence" means a fine of up to £1,000 and between three and six points.

Once a driver accumulates 12 points, he or she is banned for a minimum of six months.

Last night Greene referred inquiries to the Queen's solicitors Farrer & Co.

They failed to return calls.

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Greene managed the Blairs' business affairs while they were in Downing Street, regularly travelling with Cherie on money-spinning lecture tours amid criticism that she was cashing in on her husband's office.

Last year, Tories demanded an investigation into Mrs Blair's role into arranging a meeting between the Government's health tsar Professor Paul Corrigan and directors of a private healthcare firm - one of whom, Jonathan Metliss, a married father of two, is Greene's partner.

Prof Corrigan met Mr Metliss and Harry Hyman of the Nexus Group at Westminster's Cinnamon Club. Emails leaked to The Mail on Sunday suggested that Mrs Blair had lobbied Prof Corrigan, the husband of former Labour Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong, for the breakfast meeting.

According to one email, Mrs Blair also used Downing Street secretary Catherine Garwood to contact Mr Hyman. After the breakfast meeting, Prof Corrigan promised to put Mr Metliss and Mr Hyman in touch with the NHS's commercial director Ken Anderson.

Mr Metliss is a member of Westminster Conservative Association and the Conservative Friends of Israel, and lives near where his partner was stopped over the alleged motoring offences.

Last year Mrs Blair was also accused of cashing in over the potentially lucrative website www.cherieblair.org.uk, which was registered by Greene on Mrs Blair's behalf.

It was seen as the clearest evidence that Mrs Blair, who practises as a barrister under her maiden name Booth, was looking to build up her commercial career once her husband left office.

Under last year's crackdown, drivers using mobiles can be jailed for up to two years if in an accident.

Ministers are pressing for even stronger penalties because driving while holding a mobile was linked to 13 fatal accidents in 2005.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne was fined £100 and given three penalty points after admitting driving while using a mobile in the Midlands last year. He had earlier told the Commons of the need to cut road accidents.