Tonight:
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We gathered expectantly at the Chilcot inquiry to watch Alastair Campbell telling the unvarnished truth about the Iraq war.
There must have been a full 10 minutes of false modesty before Mr Campbell reverted to bullish type — and told the inquiry what to do.
“You'll have to ask Jonathan [Powell] that,” he said at one point. The gratitude of the committee at Ali's advice was not immediately apparent.
Mr Campbell was wearing a very wide shiny tie and white shirt.
He exuded the jaunty edginess of a football manager explaining away a slightly disappointing season.
His natural enemy is Baroness Prashar. She is one of those ladies in public life who wears Traidcraft jewellery, bulky jackets and a permanently disapproving expression.
The Baroness clearly thinks Tony Blair sold out Britain's interests to George Bush at the Crawford summit in the run-up to the war.
Goodness no. Mr Campbell tried to argue that Britain had not wantonly joined Brother George's rush to military action.
But when the going got tough he passed the buck, “you'll have to ask others that”.
Throughout the proceedings, the former communications chief referred to his old boss as “the Prime Minister” and frequently in the present tense.
The Brown premiership appears not to figure very highly in Mr Campbell's mental world. Had Gordon been party to key discussions in the run-up to the war? “Oh yes, absolutely.”
Is crafty Alastair out to ensure that the man masquerading as the present Prime Minister is called in for a grilling too? You betcha.
The longer his own session lasted, the more rambling the answers. The “modern media” was the reason everything was done as it was.
“I think we need to take a break,” said Sir John. There is only so much of Mr Campbell anyone can take.
Reader views (4)
Only one slight problem here. "Regime Change" is specifically prohibited under the GENEVA CONVENTION.
- Frank, Bristol, 12/01/2010 21:58
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It was terrible. Shocking. Here we had five interrogators who all failed to lay a finger on Campbell, who sat there and, largely, waffled away to himself as if he was planning a new novel. No incisive questioning, no forensic follow-up to the obvious howlers, like "beyond doubt" being nowhere in the JIC's advice. AC, unelected, appears to believe he is as important as all the main actors in the story. How come he got to chair meetings, for goodness' sake? By the time the hearing finally came to its conclusion for today, I had almost entirely lost the will to live.
- Mike Mitchell, Spalding, England, 12/01/2010 16:35
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Where is Michael Mansfield QC when you need him? The bunch of pussies questioning in this 'inquiry' make the X Factor Judges look like Nuremburg.
- Chris Williams, Cardiff, 12/01/2010 16:29
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Surely Campbell and Blair should be cross expamined by a QC?
After all the pussy cats that are questioning the likes of Campbell are softer than my old head mistress.
My granny could get more info out of these witnesses.
Had to turn up the volume on my TV as the sound of rubber stamping was drowning out Campbells answers........
- Chris Williams, Cardiff, 12/01/2010 16:16
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