Saturday, February 14, 2004
The backlash against the whitewash surprised the Government. So much so that when it became necessary to hold another inquiry, this time into whether good, honest Mr. Blair was misled by evil, wicked intelligence types, they learnt from the mistakes of the Hutton Inquiry. So that there's no danger of people predicting before the publishing of findings that it's bad for the Government because they've heard the evidence, this inquiry will be held in private. That way, when the Government are absolved of any responsibility we can sit back and relax, knowing that there was nothing underhand in that decision and we can watch 'I'm an ex-BBC Executive Get Me Out of Here' and never have to trouble ourselves to worry that our Government are a shower of lying, spinning, toadying fuckers ever again.
However, as issues to do with our Government's preparation for war rely so heavily on their government's preparation for war (Blair was determined not to have another inquiry right up to the point that the US Administration decided it would be the best way for Dubya to try and wriggle out of his hole), is the decision for the inquiry to be closed to pulic gaze anything to do with this report about the American inquiry, that the Senate panel will also look at whether the administration accurately used the information. Very few people listened to the evidence in the Hutton Inquiry and didn't come away thinking that there was not evidence tampering and it's on this very point that the Liberal Democrats decided not to take part in proceedings. Blair will resist this change to the inquiry strongly, but it is vitally important that this inquiry is to be far reaching and open. And, considering the number of times a piece of legislation is examined and gone over before it becomes law, I don't think the Government can seriously claim that the issue of how they handled information is dealt with in the Hutton Report and that's an end to the matter.
However, as issues to do with our Government's preparation for war rely so heavily on their government's preparation for war (Blair was determined not to have another inquiry right up to the point that the US Administration decided it would be the best way for Dubya to try and wriggle out of his hole), is the decision for the inquiry to be closed to pulic gaze anything to do with this report about the American inquiry, that the Senate panel will also look at whether the administration accurately used the information. Very few people listened to the evidence in the Hutton Inquiry and didn't come away thinking that there was not evidence tampering and it's on this very point that the Liberal Democrats decided not to take part in proceedings. Blair will resist this change to the inquiry strongly, but it is vitally important that this inquiry is to be far reaching and open. And, considering the number of times a piece of legislation is examined and gone over before it becomes law, I don't think the Government can seriously claim that the issue of how they handled information is dealt with in the Hutton Report and that's an end to the matter.
