Hoon authorised policy that led to Kelly's exposure
by James Blitz, Jean Eaglesham and Tim Burt
Financial Times FRONT PAGE - FIRST SECTION; Jul 22, 2003
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The political fallout from the apparent suicide of David Kelly hit the highest levels of government yesterday after it emerged that Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, had personally authorised his department's strategy for dealing with the scientist.
As Tony Blair and Mr Hoon brace themselves for public interrogation by a senior law lord investigating Mr Kelly's death, Downing Street also conceded that it was consulted by the Ministry of Defence on several occasions over his treatment.
Mr Hoon's direct involvement in the handling of Mr Kelly - the weapons expert at the centre of the row between the government and the BBC - means that he could be forced to resign if an independent inquiry by Lord Hutton criticises Mr Kelly's treatment by Whitehall officials.
The inquiry is likely to focus on the MoD's decision to confirm to three newspapers - including the Financial Times - that Mr Kelly was the unnamed official who informed the department on June 30 that he was the likely source for a controversial broadcast by BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan.
Downing Street officials insisted that the MoD was the lead department in handling Mr Kelly's case and that Mr Blair's aides were rigorous on this point.
But Downing Street's admission that it was consulted by the MoD over the weapons scientist is certain to be explored by Lord Hutton and could be central to determining whether the political fallout spreads to Mr Blair.
The BBC was also under continuing pressure after admitting that Mr Kelly was the source for a report by Mr Gilligan which stated that Downing Street doctored last September's dossier on weapons of mass destruction.
Gavyn Davies, chairman of the BBC board of governors, has vowed to keep the board fully briefed on the corporation's stance ahead of the judicial inquiry and to convene an emergency board meeting, if necessary, to consider it.
A meeting earlier this month of the board - the guardian of BBC standards - did not examine whether Mr Gilligan's report was accurate. The governors gave full support for the corporation's handling of the affair but did not discuss whether the allegations were true - merely that reporting guidelines had been upheld.
Although Mr Kelly said last week that he did not see how Mr Gilligan's claims about the dossier could be related to the meeting the two men held on May 22, Greg Dyke, director-general, continued to defend the BBC's role.
He wrote to the corporation's 22,000 staff insisting it was a fundamental principle of journalism never to name sources unless the source is willing to be named.
Lord Hutton yesterday asserted his independence from the government, insisting he would decide the scope and terms of his investigation for himself.
Mr Blair promised to "co-operate fully" with Lord Hutton, saying he would "do what the judge in charge of the inquiry wants me to".
Speaking in Beijing, he said he would break into his holiday next month to give evidence, if necessary.