The public are under a grave
handicap in assessing the Hutton inquiry. Our information is provided
by journalists and the media, yet they are the chief suspects.
Inevitably the presentation is slanted.
I watched every minute of the televised closing speeches on September
25. The reporting next day on the BBC Radio Four Today programme
concentrated on the bad things Jeremy Gompertz QC, for the Kelly
family, said about the Government. Nothing about the damning indictment
Jonathan Sumption QC levelled against the BBC and its employee
Andrew Gilligan.
It is absurd for Simon Jenkins (26 September 2003) to end his
piece on the Hutton inquiry by saying no one was to blame. Andrew
Gilligan was doubly to blame for falsely asserting on air that
the Government (1) forced the inclusion of the 45-minute claim
into the September dossier and (2) knew the claim was wrong. The
BBC was to blame for steadfastly supporting him in this. Both
were to blame for not at once (or ever) withdrawing this false
claim and apologising to the Government. But for this media misconduct
Dr Kelly would still be alive1.
1The Times Register (Debate),
30 September 2003 (final sentence omitted).
