Tuesday, August 26, 2003
The Hutton Enquiry: Official Website.
At this stage in the proceedings, my opinions on the whole thing, for what they are worth.
The Innocent Parties.
1/ The BBC.
2/ Ali C.
3/ New Labour.
The Guilty Parties.
1/Andrew Gilligan. Presuming what we've heard so far is true and pending the man having a chance to explain his actions, what the fuck was he thinking? His work on the original 'ready to deploy weapons in 45 minutes' story was fair enough, as far as he could tell, but what's all this about briefing or trying to brief Lib Dem and Tory MPs, especially as he then pretty much gives away Doctor Kelly's name to them, while his bosses are going on TV talking about how journalists don't reveal their sources? If this is true then his behaviour has been very embaressing for the BBC. If he can't give a convincing reason for his behaviour then he should consider his position. Or the BBC should do it for him.
2/Ali C. So, if we believe what we are told then Ali C did not spice up the dodgy dossier. That's why he's up there in the innocent parties. However, he's down here for the more serious crime of using his position in the Labour Party to try to use the power of the Government to clear his name. His prima donna behaviour after the original Today report is the reason Tony Blair has gone down in the polls so much, if he'd just sat on his hands then the story would have been forgotten months ago (after all, how many people listen to Today anyway?) and Beckham's latest haircut would be the main item of news. As it is, he's already said he's leaving his job and that will probably come up before Hutton's final report comes out, if it doesn't then he needs to go.
3/Geoff Hoon. Everyone in Government and the Civil Service doesn't think it's a good idea to allow David Kelly's name into the public domain. But Geoff knows better. It's sad that 'falling on his sword' is only a metaphor in this case but he's now in the same situation as Stephen Byers, he's allowed the need for spin to preclude intelligence and must now pay the price.
4/Doctor David Kelly. Of course, it's inevitable that in these sorts of inquiries it's always the person that can't be there that would be the best witness. Why did Dr. Kelly say what he did to those BBC reporters, they could of course be lying but he's reported as saying that Campbell was responsible for changes to the dossiers when he had absolutely no evidence for that. Was it like the 'Walter Mitty' comment about him, he was just suggesting something that was then reported as fact? And when he appeared before the F.A.S.C. and said he didn't believe he was Gilligan's source because he didn't recognise what he'd told Gilligan in that report it does seem to me that he was lying, that he knew precisely what he'd said to Gilligan and was now trying to desperately backtrack to avoid getting into more trouble.
5/Rupert Murdoch. Just on general principle, because he's got to be guilty of something.
At this stage in the proceedings, my opinions on the whole thing, for what they are worth.
The Innocent Parties.
1/ The BBC.
2/ Ali C.
3/ New Labour.
The Guilty Parties.
1/Andrew Gilligan. Presuming what we've heard so far is true and pending the man having a chance to explain his actions, what the fuck was he thinking? His work on the original 'ready to deploy weapons in 45 minutes' story was fair enough, as far as he could tell, but what's all this about briefing or trying to brief Lib Dem and Tory MPs, especially as he then pretty much gives away Doctor Kelly's name to them, while his bosses are going on TV talking about how journalists don't reveal their sources? If this is true then his behaviour has been very embaressing for the BBC. If he can't give a convincing reason for his behaviour then he should consider his position. Or the BBC should do it for him.
2/Ali C. So, if we believe what we are told then Ali C did not spice up the dodgy dossier. That's why he's up there in the innocent parties. However, he's down here for the more serious crime of using his position in the Labour Party to try to use the power of the Government to clear his name. His prima donna behaviour after the original Today report is the reason Tony Blair has gone down in the polls so much, if he'd just sat on his hands then the story would have been forgotten months ago (after all, how many people listen to Today anyway?) and Beckham's latest haircut would be the main item of news. As it is, he's already said he's leaving his job and that will probably come up before Hutton's final report comes out, if it doesn't then he needs to go.
3/Geoff Hoon. Everyone in Government and the Civil Service doesn't think it's a good idea to allow David Kelly's name into the public domain. But Geoff knows better. It's sad that 'falling on his sword' is only a metaphor in this case but he's now in the same situation as Stephen Byers, he's allowed the need for spin to preclude intelligence and must now pay the price.
4/Doctor David Kelly. Of course, it's inevitable that in these sorts of inquiries it's always the person that can't be there that would be the best witness. Why did Dr. Kelly say what he did to those BBC reporters, they could of course be lying but he's reported as saying that Campbell was responsible for changes to the dossiers when he had absolutely no evidence for that. Was it like the 'Walter Mitty' comment about him, he was just suggesting something that was then reported as fact? And when he appeared before the F.A.S.C. and said he didn't believe he was Gilligan's source because he didn't recognise what he'd told Gilligan in that report it does seem to me that he was lying, that he knew precisely what he'd said to Gilligan and was now trying to desperately backtrack to avoid getting into more trouble.
5/Rupert Murdoch. Just on general principle, because he's got to be guilty of something.
