Heads must roll, insists Tory leader
Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has said heads must roll over the “sexed up” dossier scandal, which resulted in the tragic death of Iraq weapons expert Dr David Kelly.
The “dodgy dossier” furore has ravaged the very foundations of the Blair government and attacked the integrity of British politics.
Opposition parties and the media insist someone must pay.
Mr Duncan Smith told ‘Newsnight: “If it turns out that after having granted confidentiality, Dr. Kelly’s name was pushed out into the public domain for political reasons, then clearly anyone who is responsible will have to answer that charge and one would assume that their position would quite rightly be untenable.”
Some are baying for the resignation of Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon after Tony Blair emphatically denied approving of the naming of Dr David Kelly’ as the “mole” behind the BBC’s Iraq dossier story.
On a flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Mr Blair said: “I did not authorise the leaking of the name of David Kelly.”
The Ministry of Defence has declined to comment on whether Mr Hoon approved of the “outing” of Dr Kelly. If it wasn’t Mr Hoon, who was it? Alastair Campbell?
But some sections of the press remain convinced that Mr Hoon and permanent secretary Sir Kevin Tebbit gave the final go-ahead.
A former information officer for the Government told Channel Four News that the Defence Secretary must have given the green light to the leak.
Andy Wood said: “It is absolutely inconceivable that that would have gone out without the blessing of the Secretary of State for Defence and his permanent secretary. Downing Street would have been in the loop as well.”
