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BBC eats entire Humble Pie

© Allan Lee

The Hutton Inquiry has delivered its report into the row over British Ministry of Defence scientist Dr David Kelly, what he did or didn't tell the BBC, and what the BBC told the rest of us. The BBC was prepared to eat a slice of humble pie. In the end, it was made to swallow the entire pie, serving plate and all. But was it right?

To sum up an extremely complicated story in a paragraph or two doesn't do it justice, but to cut a long story short, BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan told BBC radio presenter John Humphrys that the Government had 'sexed up' its report into the weapons capability of Saddam Hussein to ensure support for Britain as it joined America in the war in Iraq. Based on information he had gleaned from informant Dr David Kelly - whose identity remained a secret until long after the row broke - Gilligan's report was live, off-the-cuff, and the 'sexed-up' claims were not repeated in any later bulletin situations. The subsequent row between the Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Government on one side, and the BBC on the other, was vitriolic and, ultimately, tragic, after Dr Kelly took his own life.

Lord Hutton was told to investigate the row and decide whether the BBC had been right or wrong, whether the Government HAD sexed up its intelligence report, and who was to blame for Dr Kelly's suicide.

The report, when released, could not have been worse for the BBC. (Read the summary at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/uk... ) It was highly critical of the reporter, Andrew Gilligan; of the management structure which allowed his comments on air; of the management structure of the BBC as a whole; of the BBC Governors; of the BBC's Director General; in fact, about the only thing it didn't criticise was Tellytubbies. The Government, on the other hand, came out of the report smelling not just of roses, but of Chanel No 5.

To its credit, the Government says now that it has received a 'fulsome apology' from the BBC it is willing to draw a line under the affair and start again. In fact, MPs who have been crowing over the state broadcaster have been brought to heel. The Government even managed to pay tribute to the two highest executives who resigned over the matter, the Chairman and Director-General, saying they were 'decent and honourable men who did the decent and honourable thing'.

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