Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging thinktanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", 2019 parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, "Speedboat", "The Cockroach", eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
There was one. It was adjourned. Then they had the Hutton inquiry, which looked at the circumstances surrounding Kelly's death in far more detail than any inquest would have done.
The absurd, despicable Hutton "Inquiry" did no such thing, and it was never intended to.
Nor was its "Report" believed by anyone: not even Blairite headbangers actually thought that it was the truth; their laughable yet stomach-turning defence of it had altogether baser motives.
I thought the Hutton Inquiry was an excellent report, actually, and I did believe it. It angered the BBC, who hate having their judgement questioned, and it angered the knee-jerk thoughtless NuLabour haters, but neither of those things makes it any less likely to be true. I have to confess that I rather enjoy it when the BBC gets slapped down.
But you haven't answered barney or anonymous' points. You may have disagreed with the Hutton inquiry's findings (although incidentally, questioning the sanity of those who supported it is not particularly sophisticated) but you haven't said exactly what you want investigated that Hutton didn't cover. And I fear that you only want an inquiry if it concludes what you obviously feel- which isn't their point.
Barney, Hutton was not the due process of law in these matters. Simple as that.
Yes, it was also a ridiculous government whitewash. But that is not the point. The point is that it was not the due process of law in these matters. Simple as that.
well, you haven't got all riled up over a process issue surely, not if you are content that the right result was reached. So your opposition must be towards content. And I'm asking what you'd do if a "properly convened" coroner's inquest found exactly the same thing as Hutton?
But why? The original decision to have Hutton over a coroner's inquest was because the former was far lengthier and more detailed. Hutton produced an exhaustive account of Kelly's death. The burden of proof is on you to show why a coroner's inquest would be somehow different. And other than the fact that it would perhaps be proceduraly right (I don't know enough about this area to know whether you're right or not), you have nothing. And from where I stand, the colossal waste of time and money that a duplicate inquiry would represent outweighs a process issue. What matters is finding out what happened, and I believe we have that. If you think differently, then say so - with evidence.
"The original decision to have Hutton over a coroner's inquest was because the former was far lengthier and more detailed."
We all know the real reason. And anyway, that's not the law. The Hutton "Inquiry" has, and has never purported to have, any legal status whatever.
"Hutton produced an exhaustive account of Kelly's death."
Hutton put his name to whatever Alastair Campbell put in front of him, and was appointed because Blair and Campbell knew that that was what he would do. But anyway, so what? His "Inquiry" was not a coroner's inquest. That is the point.
"The burden of proof is on you to show why a coroner's inquest would be somehow different."
It would be the due process of law.
"And other than the fact that it would perhaps be proceduraly right (I don't know enough about this area to know whether you're right or not), you have nothing."
In other words, I have everything.
"And from where I stand, the colossal waste of time and money that a duplicate inquiry would represent outweighs a process issue."
Terrfying.
Chilling, in fact.
Read some history. Almost any will do for this purpose.
Firstly, the inquest could have been just as long and detailed as Hutton was - think of the length of the 'Diana' inquest where the cause of death was far more self evident. Secondly, an inquest would have the power to call witnesses, Hutton didn't. Thirdly, an inquest would necessitate evidence being given under oath, Hutton couldn't do this. Fourthly an inquest of this nature would have had a jury so that the verdict wouldn't have come down to a single individual.
So sorry anonymous, barney and ab you are quite wrong in your assertions.
Because everyone knows what happened! Gilligan lied, and the bloke died because Gilligan (working with the Lib Dem MP David Chidgey) and the Socialists decided to make him the scapegoat for the BBC - and specifically for the Government's assets therein, including Greg Dyke (DG - formerly of the International Socialists at university, where he was friends with a young Peter Hitchens) and Gavin Davies (the Chairman - formerly of Harold Wilson's sodding Policy Unit), not to mention a whole host of Blairite hacks (the self-confessed Andrew Marr and his ilk).
If Kelly hadn't died, it's worth reflecting, Gilligan, Dyke and Davies would almost certainly all still be at the BBC, and the public would be none the wiser.
David, this is interesting. Can you tell me what law, if any, was broken by adjourning the inquest in favour of the Hutton inquiry? Isn't there legal provision that allows inquests to be superseded in certain circumstances?
So you're saying the law has been broken? Surely that's not true - a perfectly legal decision was reached, and you (as is your right) disagree with it.
The decision had and has no legal standing, because the "Inquiry" had no legal standing. It was just, as I said, "we know some old judge who'll look into it". And charge the rest of us for his doing so, of course.
There are other countries like that, but who wants to be compared to them? And why are you so keen to defend this nonsense? I think we all know why.
But it is still very odd. To have been unlawfully killed on the orders of Tony Blair is, after all, no distinction. There have been at least a million such worldwide. The number rises by the hour.
And we *know* that they were, and are being. Yet you make such a fuss about the mere suggestion that anyone with the proper legal power and following the due process of law might so much as look into whether one more individual might have been. Why?
David, I'm warning you, stay off this topic. The security services will do anything (and I mean, ANYTHING) to prevent an inquest into David Kelly's death. We know they're already watching you. You may be in more danger than you think.
There was one. It was adjourned. Then they had the Hutton inquiry, which looked at the circumstances surrounding Kelly's death in far more detail than any inquest would have done.
ReplyDeletePull the other one!
ReplyDeleteThe absurd, despicable Hutton "Inquiry" did no such thing, and it was never intended to.
Nor was its "Report" believed by anyone: not even Blairite headbangers actually thought that it was the truth; their laughable yet stomach-turning defence of it had altogether baser motives.
I thought the Hutton Inquiry was an excellent report, actually, and I did believe it. It angered the BBC, who hate having their judgement questioned, and it angered the knee-jerk thoughtless NuLabour haters, but neither of those things makes it any less likely to be true. I have to confess that I rather enjoy it when the BBC gets slapped down.
ReplyDeleteNurse, Nurse...
ReplyDeleteBut you haven't answered barney or anonymous' points. You may have disagreed with the Hutton inquiry's findings (although incidentally, questioning the sanity of those who supported it is not particularly sophisticated) but you haven't said exactly what you want investigated that Hutton didn't cover. And I fear that you only want an inquiry if it concludes what you obviously feel- which isn't their point.
ReplyDeleteThe Hutton "Inquiry" was not a coroner's inquest. Simple as that.
ReplyDeleteSo if a coroner's request found that he died of the painkillers and cutting his wrist, you'd conclude it was all fine, and drop your opposition?
ReplyDelete"The Hutton "Inquiry" was not a coroner's inquest."
ReplyDeleteTrue. But it was much longer, and more detailed. What did it fail to consider which an inquest would have considered? Seriously?
"Opposition" to what, Ab?
ReplyDeleteBarney, Hutton was not the due process of law in these matters. Simple as that.
Yes, it was also a ridiculous government whitewash. But that is not the point. The point is that it was not the due process of law in these matters. Simple as that.
well, you haven't got all riled up over a process issue surely, not if you are content that the right result was reached. So your opposition must be towards content. And I'm asking what you'd do if a "properly convened" coroner's inquest found exactly the same thing as Hutton?
ReplyDelete"well, you haven't got all riled up over a process issue surely"
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a true Blairite.
"And I'm asking what you'd do if a "properly convened" coroner's inquest found exactly the same thing as Hutton?"
I don't know what the scare marks are for there.
Let's have it, then.
But why? The original decision to have Hutton over a coroner's inquest was because the former was far lengthier and more detailed. Hutton produced an exhaustive account of Kelly's death. The burden of proof is on you to show why a coroner's inquest would be somehow different. And other than the fact that it would perhaps be proceduraly right (I don't know enough about this area to know whether you're right or not), you have nothing. And from where I stand, the colossal waste of time and money that a duplicate inquiry would represent outweighs a process issue. What matters is finding out what happened, and I believe we have that. If you think differently, then say so - with evidence.
ReplyDelete"But why?"
ReplyDeleteIt's the law.
"The original decision to have Hutton over a coroner's inquest was because the former was far lengthier and more detailed."
We all know the real reason. And anyway, that's not the law. The Hutton "Inquiry" has, and has never purported to have, any legal status whatever.
"Hutton produced an exhaustive account of Kelly's death."
Hutton put his name to whatever Alastair Campbell put in front of him, and was appointed because Blair and Campbell knew that that was what he would do. But anyway, so what? His "Inquiry" was not a coroner's inquest. That is the point.
"The burden of proof is on you to show why a coroner's inquest would be somehow different."
It would be the due process of law.
"And other than the fact that it would perhaps be proceduraly right (I don't know enough about this area to know whether you're right or not), you have nothing."
In other words, I have everything.
"And from where I stand, the colossal waste of time and money that a duplicate inquiry would represent outweighs a process issue."
Terrfying.
Chilling, in fact.
Read some history. Almost any will do for this purpose.
Firstly, the inquest could have been just as long and detailed as Hutton was - think of the length of the 'Diana' inquest where the cause of death was far more self evident. Secondly, an inquest would have the power to call witnesses, Hutton didn't. Thirdly, an inquest would necessitate evidence being given under oath, Hutton couldn't do this. Fourthly an inquest of this nature would have had a jury so that the verdict wouldn't have come down to a single individual.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry anonymous, barney and ab you are quite wrong in your assertions.
Because everyone knows what happened! Gilligan lied, and the bloke died because Gilligan (working with the Lib Dem MP David Chidgey) and the Socialists decided to make him the scapegoat for the BBC - and specifically for the Government's assets therein, including Greg Dyke (DG - formerly of the International Socialists at university, where he was friends with a young Peter Hitchens) and Gavin Davies (the Chairman - formerly of Harold Wilson's sodding Policy Unit), not to mention a whole host of Blairite hacks (the self-confessed Andrew Marr and his ilk).
ReplyDeleteIf Kelly hadn't died, it's worth reflecting, Gilligan, Dyke and Davies would almost certainly all still be at the BBC, and the public would be none the wiser.
David, this is interesting. Can you tell me what law, if any, was broken by adjourning the inquest in favour of the Hutton inquiry? Isn't there legal provision that allows inquests to be superseded in certain circumstances?
ReplyDeleteThank you Brian, you are spot on.
ReplyDeleteThe Hutton "Inquiry" never even made any claim to any legal status (raising serious questions about why it was conducted at public expense).
Well, "we know some old judge who'll look into it" simply isn't good enough. It wasn't then. And it still isn't now.
So you're saying the law has been broken? Surely that's not true - a perfectly legal decision was reached, and you (as is your right) disagree with it.
ReplyDeleteThe decision had and has no legal standing, because the "Inquiry" had no legal standing. It was just, as I said, "we know some old judge who'll look into it". And charge the rest of us for his doing so, of course.
ReplyDeleteThere are other countries like that, but who wants to be compared to them? And why are you so keen to defend this nonsense? I think we all know why.
But it is still very odd. To have been unlawfully killed on the orders of Tony Blair is, after all, no distinction. There have been at least a million such worldwide. The number rises by the hour.
And we *know* that they were, and are being. Yet you make such a fuss about the mere suggestion that anyone with the proper legal power and following the due process of law might so much as look into whether one more individual might have been. Why?
David, I'm warning you, stay off this topic. The security services will do anything (and I mean, ANYTHING) to prevent an inquest into David Kelly's death. We know they're already watching you. You may be in more danger than you think.
ReplyDeleteIf I never blog again, then you'll know the reason why.
ReplyDelete