Dead Men Do Talk

‘FINALLY Dr David Kelly can be laid to rest. Lord Hutton has still to sum up and deliver his conclusions but, with Iraq invaded, Kelly dead and Alistair Campbell gone, what matter what he says? The damage has been done.

Dead and buried in 45 minutes

Since the Hutton Inquiry was an investigation into one man’s apparent suicide and thus a personal story first and a wider scandal second, the Times is right to lead with the “verdicts of Kelly’s family”.

Delivered through the mouth of the family’s legal representative, Jeremy Gompertz QC, it’s not hard to see that the words spoken are principally those of Kelly’s widow and surviving family.

The Guardian uses bolder terms to keep Kelly at the centre of things, illustrating the QC’s words with an emotive shot of the scientist’s grave.

And so to those words. “There was a strategy to out Dr Kelly,” says Gompertz. “This was a cynical abuse of power.”

That’s one for the Government of chew on with their morning croissants and lattes.

And there’s more. “No wonder Dr Kelly felt betrayed after giving his life to the service of his county. No wonder he was broken-hearted.”

Whether that was reason enough for him to take his own life, however, we do not know.

There is more in the Telegraph which, despite the fact that counsel for Andrew Gilligan, the Government and the BBC also delivered their final addresses to court yesterday, loads the round-up of quotes with anti-Government Gompertz gems.

As one of the paper’s headlines puts it: “No scapegoats or revenge required…just the head of [Geoff] Hoon.” And at once we are back in matters less personal and more political.

A fitting finale for a war and a man’s death that have been fought over in newspaper headlines…’

Posted: 26th, September 2003 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink