Downing Street emphasised Tony Blair’s support for Lord Levy’s role as a Middle East adviser yesterday amid ministerial fears that he might “implode” over the cash-for-honours affair.

The Times has learnt that senior Jewish figures who have donated to Labour have voiced their anger to the party at the way Mr Blair’s fundraiser has been left “twisting in the wind”, raising worries that they might withhold their support in future.

Mr Blair’s spokesman said that Lord Levy’s role as an adviser was “ongoing and unchanged” and emphasised how highly Mr Blair valued his work. He referred to Mr Blair’s praise for Lord Levy when they were together in the Middle East in December. Mr Blair said then that Lord Levy was “doing an excellent job as my envoy in very difficult circumstances”.

It appeared to be part of a concerted effort to assure Lord Levy that he was not being isolated after an outspoken claim from his rabbi that he was being “hung out to dry”.

Some of Lord Levy’s backers blame the police for the leaks and there have also been claims of an element of anti-Semitism in the investigation.

But other friends of Lord Levy have voiced anger that government efforts to correct a BBC leak last weekend seemed designed to ease the position of Jonathan Powell, Mr Blair’s chief of staff, and Ruth Turner, director of government relations. One said that no one had “lifted a finger” for Lord Levy.

A Downing Street insider said that the main players who had been interviewed during the investigation — Mr Powell, Lord Levy, Ms Turner and John McTernan, political secretary, as well as Mr Blair — were determined not to be “pulled apart” by the pressure of events. “We know the media would love to see them briefing against each other but that is not going to happen,” he said.

But ministers have voiced alarm at signs that Lord Levy feels he is being victimised and that leaks in recent days have been designed to manipulate the police inquiry against him.

“If Michael [Levy] were to feel that Tony has left him to swing over this one he would be a very dangerous animal. There might be an implosion.”

The Times was told last night that the senior party hierarchy had been made aware of fury in the Jewish community at the treatment of Lord Levy “after all that he has done for the party”. A senior Labour figure said: “These are very significant people who make a very significant contribution to the party.” He added: “And their support is transferable. David Cameron is making a substantial effort to lobby this community.”

Lord Levy’s rabbi, Yitzchak Schochet, said Jews were scared that the inquiry would lead to “one Jew being hung out to dry”.

The original leaks suggested there had been an e-mail from Ms Turner to Mr Powell. But corrections made plain that there had been no e-mail. Instead there had been a document in which Ms Turner voiced worries, but that had not been sent to Mr Powell.

In a frank interview yesterday Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney-General, rejected any suggestion that he had been acting in a political capacity in seeking the injunction against the BBC last weekend.

“I have come at this as a long-time professional lawyer, not as a career politician at all. The primary duty is to the law, never to political parties,” he said. That was why he had acted not at the request of Downing Street but the Metropolitan Police “and they haven’t been the best of friends recently, you might think, on this particular issue.

“My duty is to the law first and it is preposterous for anyone to suggest . . . that my acting was anything to do with politics.”

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