I am not remotely surprised that Tony Blair declined to answer directly the 100+ detailed questions Sir John Chilcott put to him in writing before Friday’s evidence session.

Instead, Blair submitted his own memorandum, complete with crossheads, telling the story in his own way.

Chilcott wanted to publish a number of letters from Blair to Bush. But his request, passed to the Cabinet Secretary, Gus O’Donnell, was turned down.

I thought O’Donnell had blocked the release but some reports suggest it was Blair who declined to give his consent.

Perhaps we shall learn more on Friday (28 January) when it is O’Donnell’s turn to go before the Chilcott Inquiry.

Does any of this matter?

I suspect most people have already made their minds up.

I did. A long time ago.

I told the Pendle Labour Party (see attachments) in September 2002 and in February 2003, just before the balloon went up, there was no case for war.

It is as plain as a pikestaff to me that Blair strung us all along. He had resolved to wage war against Iraq long before he told the rest of us.

Two things I remember most about the whole sorrowful saga.

We only went to war because the official opposition bought the Blair line. Without the Conservatives rowing in behind Blair, there would never have been a Commons majority for war.

Second. The Cabinet was a vegetable patch – only one or two had the gumption to think for themselves.

But we know that.

It's history.

Stephen Harper

Canada's Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has been leading a minority Government for five years – the longest in Canadian history.

How does he do it?

He believes, for example, in capital punishment. In relaxing gun controls.

Here, the Conservative leader is gently quizzed by the CBC’s Peter Mansbridge, a Canadian institution in his own right.

Coulson makes news in Canada

Astonishingly, Coulson was a big story here in Canada too.

Read on.

Attachments:

GC Report February 2003.pdf	[ ]	5416 Kb
GC Report September 2002.pdf	[ ]	7751 Kb