Yes, it should be. I'm starting to think that in a lot of ways even a Tory government would be better at the moment.

I suspect any of the alternatives will be worse, but that isn't going to save him - particularly from a revolt in his own party.

I'm still undecided about... pretty much everything. Mistakes were certainly made over Iraq, but whether we shouldn't have gone to war - I don't know. Blair's not a villain, any more than Saddam's a hero - and I don't think we're going to know the full story anytime soon.

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I think its dangerous to fall into the trap of thinking that even a tory gov would be better (although i can understand it to a certain extent.) I think thats the type of feeling the tories are trying to provoke in people to get votes.

I think this may well be in the end of Blair and i can't help but think he deserves it a bit. This student fees thing really marks the end of Old Labour and proves that Blairs New Labour really has taken over.

The Hutton inquiry isn't going to tell us why we went to war, just that in retrospect we shouldn't have gone to war and i'm not sure thats going to do anyone any good. Have just read the leaked version of the report, seems they say that Mr Blair isn't at fault at all! It just confuses me more, i quite like the BBC i dunno if i want them to be wrong

Its all so confusing, but i do know that i will be standing at my polling booth next general election for hours trying to decide whats best!

This message was edited by:Lisa on 2004-01-28 06:09

Honestly now...

Haven't seen the whole report yet, but it does seem like Blair's got off lightly. I hope the BBC aren't going to suffer over this; I really don't think their part of the story is important. It annoys me that they've been made an issue of, when the real questions are still unanswered.

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But thats the thing, most people are going to be satisifed as long as they have someone to point the finger at whilst the real questions that need answering will get brushed under the carpet

God, i'm getting too cynical for my age!

Honestly now...

After skimming through the report's conclusions (and the reports on the report) the word "whitewash" springs to mind.

I expected some criticism of the BBC, and Kelly himself, but to be so damning about them while completely exonerating the government is just.. well. unbelievable. He hasn't offered a single concession to the BBC (such as conceding the broad jist of their story was correct, in that Kelly did agree the dossier was "sexed up", and with reason ), but at the same time he's glossed over every government failing revealed in the evidence to his own inquiry.

For instance, he suggests the JIC (joint intelligence committee) may have "subconsciously" used stronger language than necessary (or usual) to underline weak points in the dossier, but draws no direct link or blame between that and the pressure that Alistair Campbell and his spin team were exerting on them at the time, on behalf of the government responsible for the report, who were pinning their hopes on exactly that response from the civil servants. It just doesn't ring true - on one hand, the BBC have been examined and found lacking in every pedantic detail, while - with broad strokes - the government which went to war over a dossier we all now know to be false, and which compelled Kelly to make the genuine accusation at the heart of all this, has been declared 100% squeaky clean and unreproachable.

Wrongness.

This message was edited by:Tim on 2004-01-28 19:43

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me detects certain pressures applied libraly to said report. it's too nice to the government and is letting the beeb take the fall for blair. it was widly argeed that if it reflected bad on them then it would be all over for blair but just lately there seems to be all to much control going to that megalomanic. he's getting away with far too much. all i can say is there next election isn't close enough

Cheese I choose you!

well after knackering the BBC with one whitewash, now they're going to have another inquiry into where all these WMD are, or were, or were made up. no doubt it will commend the government for their good manners and shiny shoes, while hanging up most of MI6 to dry. what's the point...

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