Lies, damned lies, and ballistics!

An annoyed Clare Short appeared before the Chilcot Inquiry today! Sensing an opportunity to give it to her former comrades, she did not hold back in her criticism, especially of Tony Blair's style of government, and Lord Goldsmith's change of mind. Ms Short gave a convincing account of her time as Secretary of State for International Development, and her tales of exclusion from the political process, and how her voice was lost in the fog of war.

However, experience teaches us that there are always two sides to a story. Clare Short obviously feels like a woman scorned, her attempts to bring moderation, brushed aside by the testosterone loaded cabinet of Tony Blair. But, there was also a palpable sense of betrayal. She had been given assurances that a second resolution would be sought, but the invasion continued regardless.

The writing seems to have been on the wall for Clare Short early on. In the House on March 19th, Tony Blair seems to have refused to use her name, instead referring to the work of the department in parliamentary questions. She was then replaced by a junior Foreign office minister to make a statement on humanitarian and contingency planning. The minister, Mike O'Brien, had been the one in Washington discussing this, which must have made Ms Short feel even more marginalised. Meanwhile, she had been dispatched to talks with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and between them, they must have felt like they were outside the room, looking through frosted glass. They knew they were supposed to be there, but they were excluded from the party, because they refused to play ball.

Alistair Campbell said in his evidence that Ms Short, "(W)as very difficult to handle at times," and indeed implied that she was only trustworthy when she agreed with the policy. He also indicated that her relationship with Tony Blair was part of the problem, when in reference to dealings with Donald Rumsfeld, and the less than cooperative relationship with the US state department, he said, "(I)f only Clare Short had been getting on better with the Prime minister at the time." Alistair Campbell here seems to be blaming Ms Short for a hold up in agreements regarding the humanitarian situation. Campbell does not seem to have had much love for Ms Short to start with. In his diary he describes her as rude at Cabinet meetings, and on 17th March, just three days before the invasion, was drafting letters of exchange in case she resigned. An email from Jonathan Pollitt says, "Probably better not to have them drafted by someone who so clearly despises her." Whilst this does not say that Mr Campbell, was anything other than honest in his recollections, any remarks regarding Ms Short must be regarded carefully.

Tony Blair and Clare Short seem to rubbed each other up the wrong way. They had a frosty relationship at the best of times, and there was always a feeling that she was in the Cabinet for political balance. The Department for International development was created for her, and overall seems have been the ideal job. It gave her an area of responsibility, in which she had long had an interest, but at the same time, kept her away from the big jobs and discussions in Cabinet. When Campbell described her as rude, it was to do with perceived lack of pressure on the US to deal with the situation in Palestine.

So, we come to today's appearance before the Chilcot Inquiry. When she sat down, her countenance was one of determination, as though she was going to say her piece, and not allow herself to be sidetracked. In this manner she was very similar to Alistair Campbell, which possibly accounts for their unhappy relationship, at least in part. She may have lacked the assured style of both Mr Campbell, and Mr Blair, but in her own way, she got over everything she wanted to say.

The first attack was on Tony Blair's 'Presidential' style, and how the cabinet was almost ignored. meetings were almost meaningless, and it was conducted in little chats. Images of smoke-filled rooms, where small cabals decide the direction of the country immediately spring to mind. These complaints about Tony Blair's style have been around for a long time, but they do make it easy to see how a member could be marginalised, or at least have the impression they are being so. Ms Short said that Gordon brown had been pushed aside also, and at one stage said that, "Gordon, Robin, and I were against," an invasion without a second resolution. Alistair Campbell had stated that Mr Brown was closely involved, but as he removes himself from the centre of the decision making process at this time, he needs to explain himself more fully. Mr Brown will shortly appear, and be able to give his own side. This was followed then by a reminder of the persistent complaints that briefings were given to the media before they were made to the House. This all adds to the impression that Tony Blair did see the role of Prime Minister as a decision maker, in the mould of a company CEO, in which the rest of the board merely rubber stamped his diktats.

Ms Short said that the Cabinet, and the Commons were misled. Firstly by Lord Goldsmith on the legality of the invasion. Ms Short said that he was 'leaned on' by Tony Blair to declare the war legal. Unfortunately for Lord Goldsmith, his inability to explain how he came to change his mind last week, does nothing to rebuff that. He seems to have been caught in a pincer after all. It might not have been with the office junior Lord Falconer, but by elements both in the UK, and the USA.

Then followed the most devastating assaults on Tony Blair. Time after time she said they were 'conning' and being 'deceitful,' almost as if all her years as an MP had removed the word lying from her vocabulary. She seemed to be dying to shout 'HE LIED' at the top of her voice, but her calm, if at times stuttering performance, had more impact. The drip, drip, drip of statements supporting her thesis rang disturbingly true. It wasn't only the Cabinet that were treated like this, but the House, and issued a direct challenge to the panel when Mr Blair and Lord Goldsmith reappear, that they misled the inquiry by saying that the Cabinet had been given the opportunity to question the Attorney general on his advice on 17th March. Though, as we have seen, Ms Short flew out to Washington that day, so may not have been present.

But to this writer, the real issues appear to have been regarding the post-war arrangements. Clare Short agreed to stay on despite her reservations, as she seems to have felt that she had a role to play in the post-conflict arrangements. In her resignation letter of 12th May 2003 Ms Short says, " I am afraid that the assurances you gave me about the need for a UN mandate to establish a legitimate Iraqi government have been breached. The secret security council resolution that you and Jack have so secretly negotiated contradicts the assurances I have given in the House of Commons about the legal authority of the occupying powers, and the need for a UN led process to establish a legitimate Iraqi government." In his reply Tony Blair said he did not understand this point as, "We are in the process of negotiating the UN resolution at the moment."

Claire Short eventually resigned from the Cabinet in may 2003, then in 2006, the Labour whip altogether, and she sits in the House as an independent. Did she get her revenge today? Only time will tell, but the picture that she paints of Tony Blair is a very unflattering one, and they are questions that will need to be asked, let alone answered. A lot of what Ms Short said about the lack of post-war planning supported evidence already provided, the real damage could be her direct accusations that the Cabinet and the House were misled. Part of Ms Short's charm is that she isn't a smooth lawyer or speaker. She sounds just like you and me. Personalities did play a part in the relationships, and if not difficult to handle, Ms Short certainly seems an abrasive character, which didn't quite fit the collegiate style that Tony Blair wished to bring to Cabinet. Clare Short felt not only marginalised, but betrayed. She held back on her resignation as she believed that the UN would be involved in the humanitarian aid, but that instead the UN was being also thrust aside. The next important steps for the inquiry are to recall Alistair Campbell, Lord Goldsmith and Tony Blair, but they need to ask the questions which today has raised, and make them explain what they did and why!