In Alastair Campbell’s best interests

It speaks volumes that Alastair Campbell should wish to go into print and correct the record on what the Guardian and Indy quoted him as saying on the Iraq war inquiry.  Someone like him must get misquoted every day of the week.

It is no good him saying:

There have been several inquiries on this and those who are critical of the government's policy on Iraq will only accept the findings of any inquiry that says the government was wrong.

and

I then said it was not an open and shut case that the inquiry should be held in public, and added, as quoted by the Guardian, 'it frankly won't make any difference to them because they've made their minds up, these critics of the government, whatever comes out.

This stuff is just bullshit.  Campbell is the last person to pass judgement on whether the inquiry should be held in public or not.  He has a reputation to defend and obviously wants the whole matter hushed up.  Who wouldn't in his position.

Note that only people calling for the inquiry to be held in secret are the ones that have reputations to defend.

Brown has always said there would be a further inquiry on Iraq and of course it should be held in public.  All this crap about the 24 hours news agenda and lawyers is obviously the spin that Campbell fed to Brown.

I have been involved in two public inquires where people lost their lives and I have never once heard it raised that these should be held in secret because of role of lawyers.

The point at issue here is the announcement itself, which like so much that Brown touches was botched and a public relations disaster.

If you wish to get taken in by anything Alastair Campbell has to say on Iraq, you are either gullible or a mug or both.