THE HUTTON INQUIRY

WILL Lord Hutton succeed where so many have failed? Iain Duncan Smith has never managed to do it; countless journalists and TV interviewers have given up in frustration. Will Lord Hutton actually get Tony Blair to answer the questions put to him when he appears at the inquiry into the circumstances leading to Dr David Kelly's death? And if the Prime Minister attempts his usual diversionary tactics, will Lord Hutton look over his half–moon glasses at him and say, “Prime Minister, please answer the question I have put to you”? The prospect is fascinating and it is to be hoped – for many other reasons also – that Lord Hutton will give further consideration to the televising of his inquiry. Thus far he appears to be opposed to the idea, mainly because of the representations of the Kelly family who doubtless still suffer from recalling the ordeal Dr Kelly underwent with the cameras turned on him. The family should certainly be spared a similar experience but there is a strong case for allowing the public to see justice being done for themselves instead of having to rely on necessarily summarised versions in the press. At the opening of his inquiry on Thursday Lord Hutton made clear that he, and he alone, is in charge – “All decisions have to be taken by me”. The most difficult decision may well be whether he can confine his inquiry to the narrow issue of Dr Kelly's death; there are certain to be moments when he will know that to pursue a certain line of questioning could be to open a Pandora's Box of much wider issues.