[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I'm seeing on other threads that the BBC Chairman is resigning. I'll look for a source.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

News here also:

Blair demands apology over claims

Blair demands apology over claims

The prime minister feels he is cleared by the inquiry report

Tony Blair has called on those who accused him of lying about Iraq's weapons to withdraw their allegations in the wake of Lord Hutton's report.

Mr Blair said the "real lie" was the claim he had misled the country by falsifying intelligence on weapons of mass destruction or lied to MPs.

Despite the claims being "completely untrue" the BBC had never "clearly and visibly withdrawn this allegation".

"I simply ask... now withdraw it fully, openly and clearly," he said.

The prime minister said the accusations levelled at him by BBC correspondent Andrew Gilligan were extremely serious.

"If true it would have meant that I had misled this House."

The failure to withdraw the claims "has allowed others to say repeatedly I lied and misled Parliament", he said.

For the Tories, Michael Howard said his party too accepted Lord Hutton's report but asked for a wider independent inquiry into the circumstances that led to Britain going to war with Iraq.

'Cabal'

He paid tribute to Dr Kelly whom he said was a "fine public servant".

And he argued that the case for the BBC to be independently regulated had never been stronger.

Mr Howard attacked what he called a "cabal" of ministers

He attacked Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon for his role in the circumstances of the naming of Dr Kelly.

And he said the weapons expert's record of public service was in stark contrast to the conduct of a "cabal" of ministers including Mr Blair.

Mr Howard added: "No-one in the government can look back on this episode with pride - the nation will in due course deliver its verdict."

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said Lord Hutton's inquiry had not been allowed to look into the "most fundamental question" which was why the UK went to war with Iraq.