`02
This is the widow and teenaged daughter of dead weapons specialist Dr David Kelly. Today theyre giving their statements to the Hutton Inquiry into the death of their husband and father. They calmly run over the facts - After the British government revealed he was the source of a severally critical BBC report, David Kelly became depressed and fearful. He felt betrayed by the government and, hounded by excessive media attention, was driven to suicide.
The internationally renowned scientist had served both the British government and the UN for many years as an expert in biological and chemical weapons. He was one of the worlds most imminent WMD specialists, considered exacting, reliable and discreet. He visited Iraq 37 times to look for signs of Saddams weapons programme. His work had almost become a personal campaign. For Kelly, the fact the dictator was concealing WMD was beyond doubt.
0`59
One year ago the British government published a dossier stating that Iraq could deploy biological weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes. But sceptics remained unsure and it was widely believed that Tony Blairs so-called spin doctor, former director of Communications Alastair Campbell, was responsible for this claim. Critics claimed the Government exaggerated the threat to persuade the British parliament to support the war against Iraq.
1`26:
Time and again in the British House of Commons the prime minister was forced to defend the "45-Minute-claim" from violent opposition criticism...
HOUSE OF PARL TONY BLAIR: if the right honourable gentleman who has been backing these claims has evidence to support his allegation that we inserted intelligence into this dossier let him now state the basis for that allegation.
1`35 ENG
1`49
It was this man, Andrew Gilligan of the BBC, who really brought the story to public attention. On the flagship BBC radio programme the Today Show he used an unnamed source to claim that the Government had knowingly inserted false intelligence into the dossier making the case for war. His high ranking source rebuffed any claim that weapons of mass destruction could be ready in 45 minutes, as the dossier claimed. After the report David Kelly felt obliged to confess to his bosses he had spoken to the BBC journalist. The government then leaked his name to the press.
2`04
In a recently revealed article, Kelly had described the threat from Iraq as modest but war nonetheless inevitable. But a trusted friend of Kellys believes he wasnt as emphatically against the government as the BBC report claimed.
2`13 OT Julie Flint, Middle East Expert
Ive many doubts about Gilligans story. Somebody at the BBC told me that he said to David so the government sexed it up huh and David said yes. Is it then acceptable to say David Kelly said the government sexed it up? I dont think so. I think thats putting words into his mouth. I dont think its entirely fair. And what does sexing up mean? If I sexed myself up to talk to you which I didnt does it mean that Im changing my essence? No, it doesnt. It means a bit of lipstick here, a bit of something there, of a bit of flash maybe but not necessarily exaggerating or changing the essence.
2`53 Kellys attitude to the war was also mixed.
His view werent entirely pro-Tony Blair. He would have wanted a UN war and he would have despaired of wanting a war because he thought the inspectors could have done the job given sufficient diplomatic backing. He did not want a Bush-Blair war at all.
3`16 Tony Blair and the British Government were furious they had been accused of lying by the BBC and ordered a Parliamentary Committee to investigate these accusations. David Kelly was the main witness. The hearing was televised and Kelly was subjected to harsh questioning. Many believed it was this exposure which ultimately led to his suicide.
3`32 OT David Kelly, weapon expert
- Do you actually think that biological and chemical weapons could have been deployed within 45 minutes?
- That makes a number of assumptions. That the weapons were filled, ready to go, in the right place with whatever system was being used, with the right tracking to attack.
3`45 A few days later David Kellys corpse was found near his house. He had swallowed painkillers and had cut his wrist with his penknife. Tony Blair first heard the news on a PR trip to Hong Kong. The shock was written across his face.
4`02
Tony Blair gave a heartfelt speech expressing his shock and sympathy for Dr Kellys family. He appreciated Dr Kellys role as a faithful servant of his country and a thorough investigator. Keen to prove the transparency of the British parliamentary system, Blair immediately ordered an independent inquiry into Kellys death to be chaired by leading judge, Lord Hutton.
4`43 BLAIR.
Im profoundly saddened for David Kelly and for his family. He was a fine public servant, who did an immense amount of good for his country in the past and Im sure who have done so in the future. But there is now however going to be a due process and a proper and independent inquiry.
Despite this open gesture, Tony Blair was met with a flurry of protestors when he himself was called to the Hutton Inquiry. The accusation Tony Blair had been acting like a President in going to war despite disapproval both from his people and even members of his own party.
4`48 OT - Michael Cockerell, BBC journalist
I think its pretty devastation. I mean Ive been talking to people inside Downing Street and you kind of feel almost as if a bomb had gone off in Downing Street. Theyre shell shocked. They really are.
5`10 The first victim of the aftermath has already fallen. On August 29th Super Ali", as Blairs closest advisor is known, resigned. Ex-tabloid journalist Alastair Campbell was the embodiment of everything New Labour stands for: modern, media savvy, determined. Together with a small group of advisors he formulated Tony Blairs image, helped compile his strategy and masterminded his two election victories. Campbell was considered the second most powerful man in Britain - a kind of Richelieu or Rasputin. It was Campbell who was seen as having driven Blair into the crisis.
5`38 Ot Michael Cockerell, BBC journalist and historian
"So the whole thing that they have tried to do to make themselves fire proof against the media has now bounded back on them and now many people in Britain and most newspapers say whats the spin? whats the spin. Tony Blairs credibility, his trust - which is the most important thing that any politician has - has, according to the latest opinion polls, been gravely damaged by whats going on.
6`07 Here in deepest Middle England Sedgefield to be precise the world seems to carry on as always. A few thousand inhabitants, eight Pubs, an unfettered life and the few traces of a long dead coal industry.
6`25 in the midst of Sedgefields modest terraced houses hides a very diiferent home. Heavily guarded, this country retreat belongs to the Blairs. Tony comes and goes from here regularly Sedgefield is his constituency, and a Labour heartland. Here, the Working Mans club is still at least as important as the village church. As well as Party meetings, funerals and weddings are also held here. Club members come to play their beloved bingo and drink beer. Criticism of Blair or any split within the Labour Party isnt to be found here. The same goes for Blairs decision to go to war.
7`13 OT man 1
He had something to do with the planes going into America. When they crashed into the building. He had something to do with that. Theyre all the same from over there
7`30 OT man 2
When you see the way they treat people in that country its horrible. Youll have a man and his wife and his daughter and theyll have the whole army rape his wife and daughter and theyll kill them in front of the husband and then theyll kill him
7`58 OT man 1
I tell you the truth, I dont think it is. Thats my opinion. I dont think it was sexed up. No
OT man 3
They will be back in because the Conservatives have nothing to offer themselves. But I think thats more on their part than the way hes running the country at the minute.
8`10 OT old man
Im a Blairite. You know. The man just lives down the road here. I think its just a storm in a teacup and the sooner they let it drop the better so that we can get back to doing the railways and the hospitals.
OT Old man 2
No, I dont think he lied. I think he did the right thing.
OT Old man 3
We were Old Labour rather more than new, I always said that Tony was half Tory as well as labour. I always said that. But theyve given us things to help us out with the gas. They gave us £200 towards our gas bills. Mrs Thatcher never gave us that.
We dont vote for Tony Blair, we vote for the labour party. Thats who we vote for, the labour party
Ill be having Tony Blair because there isnt another alternative. I mean, as far as were concerned Conservatives are no good to the ordinary people.
9`30
But the loyalty to Blair shown here isnt shared by all Britons.
9`36 OT Michael Cockerell
In the end, what Tony Blair says he stands for is the battle of good over evil, the battle of right and wrong. He is a religious man and one of the things that was so attractive was that he was going to get rid of, as he said in a speech just before the 97 election, no more lies, no more sleaze, no more cash for questions weve got to be cleaner than clean, whiter than white. Now unfortunately, at the end of this summer, it does not look like a government thats been cleaner than clean and whiter than white and I think the electorate see that.
10`11
Outside his Sedgefield constituency, Tony Blair is now fighting for his political survival. Polls suggest that since the Hutton affair erupted most Brits no longer trust what their Prime Minister says. His reputation may never recover.
This is the widow and teenaged daughter of dead weapons specialist Dr David Kelly. Today theyre giving their statements to the Hutton Inquiry into the death of their husband and father. They calmly run over the facts - After the British government revealed he was the source of a severally critical BBC report, David Kelly became depressed and fearful. He felt betrayed by the government and, hounded by excessive media attention, was driven to suicide.
The internationally renowned scientist had served both the British government and the UN for many years as an expert in biological and chemical weapons. He was one of the worlds most imminent WMD specialists, considered exacting, reliable and discreet. He visited Iraq 37 times to look for signs of Saddams weapons programme. His work had almost become a personal campaign. For Kelly, the fact the dictator was concealing WMD was beyond doubt.
0`59
One year ago the British government published a dossier stating that Iraq could deploy biological weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes. But sceptics remained unsure and it was widely believed that Tony Blairs so-called spin doctor, former director of Communications Alastair Campbell, was responsible for this claim. Critics claimed the Government exaggerated the threat to persuade the British parliament to support the war against Iraq.
1`26:
Time and again in the British House of Commons the prime minister was forced to defend the "45-Minute-claim" from violent opposition criticism...
HOUSE OF PARL TONY BLAIR: if the right honourable gentleman who has been backing these claims has evidence to support his allegation that we inserted intelligence into this dossier let him now state the basis for that allegation.
1`35 ENG
1`49
It was this man, Andrew Gilligan of the BBC, who really brought the story to public attention. On the flagship BBC radio programme the Today Show he used an unnamed source to claim that the Government had knowingly inserted false intelligence into the dossier making the case for war. His high ranking source rebuffed any claim that weapons of mass destruction could be ready in 45 minutes, as the dossier claimed. After the report David Kelly felt obliged to confess to his bosses he had spoken to the BBC journalist. The government then leaked his name to the press.
2`04
In a recently revealed article, Kelly had described the threat from Iraq as modest but war nonetheless inevitable. But a trusted friend of Kellys believes he wasnt as emphatically against the government as the BBC report claimed.
2`13 OT Julie Flint, Middle East Expert
Ive many doubts about Gilligans story. Somebody at the BBC told me that he said to David so the government sexed it up huh and David said yes. Is it then acceptable to say David Kelly said the government sexed it up? I dont think so. I think thats putting words into his mouth. I dont think its entirely fair. And what does sexing up mean? If I sexed myself up to talk to you which I didnt does it mean that Im changing my essence? No, it doesnt. It means a bit of lipstick here, a bit of something there, of a bit of flash maybe but not necessarily exaggerating or changing the essence.
2`53 Kellys attitude to the war was also mixed.
His view werent entirely pro-Tony Blair. He would have wanted a UN war and he would have despaired of wanting a war because he thought the inspectors could have done the job given sufficient diplomatic backing. He did not want a Bush-Blair war at all.
3`16 Tony Blair and the British Government were furious they had been accused of lying by the BBC and ordered a Parliamentary Committee to investigate these accusations. David Kelly was the main witness. The hearing was televised and Kelly was subjected to harsh questioning. Many believed it was this exposure which ultimately led to his suicide.
3`32 OT David Kelly, weapon expert
- Do you actually think that biological and chemical weapons could have been deployed within 45 minutes?
- That makes a number of assumptions. That the weapons were filled, ready to go, in the right place with whatever system was being used, with the right tracking to attack.
3`45 A few days later David Kellys corpse was found near his house. He had swallowed painkillers and had cut his wrist with his penknife. Tony Blair first heard the news on a PR trip to Hong Kong. The shock was written across his face.
4`02
Tony Blair gave a heartfelt speech expressing his shock and sympathy for Dr Kellys family. He appreciated Dr Kellys role as a faithful servant of his country and a thorough investigator. Keen to prove the transparency of the British parliamentary system, Blair immediately ordered an independent inquiry into Kellys death to be chaired by leading judge, Lord Hutton.
4`43 BLAIR.
Im profoundly saddened for David Kelly and for his family. He was a fine public servant, who did an immense amount of good for his country in the past and Im sure who have done so in the future. But there is now however going to be a due process and a proper and independent inquiry.
Despite this open gesture, Tony Blair was met with a flurry of protestors when he himself was called to the Hutton Inquiry. The accusation Tony Blair had been acting like a President in going to war despite disapproval both from his people and even members of his own party.
4`48 OT - Michael Cockerell, BBC journalist
I think its pretty devastation. I mean Ive been talking to people inside Downing Street and you kind of feel almost as if a bomb had gone off in Downing Street. Theyre shell shocked. They really are.
5`10 The first victim of the aftermath has already fallen. On August 29th Super Ali", as Blairs closest advisor is known, resigned. Ex-tabloid journalist Alastair Campbell was the embodiment of everything New Labour stands for: modern, media savvy, determined. Together with a small group of advisors he formulated Tony Blairs image, helped compile his strategy and masterminded his two election victories. Campbell was considered the second most powerful man in Britain - a kind of Richelieu or Rasputin. It was Campbell who was seen as having driven Blair into the crisis.
5`38 Ot Michael Cockerell, BBC journalist and historian
"So the whole thing that they have tried to do to make themselves fire proof against the media has now bounded back on them and now many people in Britain and most newspapers say whats the spin? whats the spin. Tony Blairs credibility, his trust - which is the most important thing that any politician has - has, according to the latest opinion polls, been gravely damaged by whats going on.
6`07 Here in deepest Middle England Sedgefield to be precise the world seems to carry on as always. A few thousand inhabitants, eight Pubs, an unfettered life and the few traces of a long dead coal industry.
6`25 in the midst of Sedgefields modest terraced houses hides a very diiferent home. Heavily guarded, this country retreat belongs to the Blairs. Tony comes and goes from here regularly Sedgefield is his constituency, and a Labour heartland. Here, the Working Mans club is still at least as important as the village church. As well as Party meetings, funerals and weddings are also held here. Club members come to play their beloved bingo and drink beer. Criticism of Blair or any split within the Labour Party isnt to be found here. The same goes for Blairs decision to go to war.
7`13 OT man 1
He had something to do with the planes going into America. When they crashed into the building. He had something to do with that. Theyre all the same from over there
7`30 OT man 2
When you see the way they treat people in that country its horrible. Youll have a man and his wife and his daughter and theyll have the whole army rape his wife and daughter and theyll kill them in front of the husband and then theyll kill him
7`58 OT man 1
I tell you the truth, I dont think it is. Thats my opinion. I dont think it was sexed up. No
OT man 3
They will be back in because the Conservatives have nothing to offer themselves. But I think thats more on their part than the way hes running the country at the minute.
8`10 OT old man
Im a Blairite. You know. The man just lives down the road here. I think its just a storm in a teacup and the sooner they let it drop the better so that we can get back to doing the railways and the hospitals.
OT Old man 2
No, I dont think he lied. I think he did the right thing.
OT Old man 3
We were Old Labour rather more than new, I always said that Tony was half Tory as well as labour. I always said that. But theyve given us things to help us out with the gas. They gave us £200 towards our gas bills. Mrs Thatcher never gave us that.
We dont vote for Tony Blair, we vote for the labour party. Thats who we vote for, the labour party
Ill be having Tony Blair because there isnt another alternative. I mean, as far as were concerned Conservatives are no good to the ordinary people.
9`30
But the loyalty to Blair shown here isnt shared by all Britons.
9`36 OT Michael Cockerell
In the end, what Tony Blair says he stands for is the battle of good over evil, the battle of right and wrong. He is a religious man and one of the things that was so attractive was that he was going to get rid of, as he said in a speech just before the 97 election, no more lies, no more sleaze, no more cash for questions weve got to be cleaner than clean, whiter than white. Now unfortunately, at the end of this summer, it does not look like a government thats been cleaner than clean and whiter than white and I think the electorate see that.
10`11
Outside his Sedgefield constituency, Tony Blair is now fighting for his political survival. Polls suggest that since the Hutton affair erupted most Brits no longer trust what their Prime Minister says. His reputation may never recover.