Tony Blair sent George Bush secret messages in the year before the invasion of Iraq assuring him Britain would “be there” if it came to military action, the inquiry into the war heard today.

Alastair Campbell denied today that he had sought to “beef up” the British government’s now notorious dossier on Saddam Hussein’s supposed weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Former spin-doctor for Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell, will today appear before the Iraq Inquiry in London to face questions about his role in the build up to the invasion of 2003.

British officials secretly discussed the prospects for "regime change" in Iraq in late 2001 - more than a year before the invasion - the official inquiry into the war was told today.

A long-awaited official inquiry into Britain's involvement in the Iraq War will begin today, taking evidence in public.

THE British Government yesterday formally withdrew its controversial claim that Iraq had chemical and biological weapons capable of being deployed within 45 minutes.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced an end to the informal “sofa” style of government meetings in the wake of the Butler report.

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair last night conceded there needed to be a shake-up in the way intelligence could be used in the run-up to war - including an abandonment of his informal "sofa" style of government.

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday accepted Iraq probably did not have weapons of mass destruction.

WITH clarity of voice and affable manner, Lord Butler of Brockwell delivered his damning verdict on the failings of intelligence over Iraq.

JOHN SCARLETT, the man who drew up the British Government’s dossier on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, should not lose his job as chief of MI6 despite flaws in intelligence in the run-up to the war, the Butler report said yesterday.

The BBC journalist who lost his job after alleging the British government had “sexed up” its pre-war Iraq dossier today praised the Butler report.

John Scarlett, the man who drew up the British government’s dossier on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, should not lose his job as chief of MI6 despite flaws in intelligence in the run-up to the war, the Butler report said today.

It would be “premature” to conclude even now that weapons of mass destruction will never be found in Iraq, the Butler report released in the UK said today.

British intelligence reports on Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction in the run up to the Iraq war were “open to doubt” and “seriously flawed”, the Butler Inquiry said today.

The long-awaited Butler Report into intelligence failings in the run-up to war in Iraq was being published in the UK today, amid fevered speculation in Westminster over whether the finger of blame will be pointed at British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Tony Blair faced fresh questions over his future tonight as it emerged key Cabinet allies pleaded with him to carry on.

The new chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service MI6 is to be the current chairman of the UK government’s Joint Intelligence Committee John Scarlett, Downing Street announced today.

THE world is overestimating the dangers of global terrorism, especially when compared with environmental risks, former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said yesterday.

British defence secretary Geoff Hoon today tried to play down new controversy surrounding the 45-minute claim in the British government’s Iraq dossier.

Intelligence chiefs ignored warnings from their own leading experts that they could not be certain Iraq had chemical and biological weapons, an ex-intelligence official who gave crucial evidence to the Hutton Inquiry claimed today.

BRITISH spy chiefs secretly warned that the United States would be prepared to invade Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to seize their oilfields following the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, it was disclosed yesterday.

DOWNING STREET last night dismissed claims that Tony Blair knew Iraq did not pose a real threat to Britain before the war.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair privately conceded before war with Iraq started that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction that could be used within 45 minutes, former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook claimed today.

The inquiry into the death of weapons expert David Kelly was resuming today, with BBC director general Greg Dyke giving evidence for the first time.

PRIME Minister Tony Blair took Britain to war in Iraq despite a warning from intelligence chiefs that it would result in a heightened terrorist threat from al-Qaida, it was disclosed yesterday.

OFFICIALS at British foreign secretary Jack Straw's Foreign Office agreed to government weapons expert Dr David Kelly's name being made public, it has emerged.

Tony Blair was under continued pressure over the death of David Kelly today as his former ministers lined up to criticise his role in the affair.

SENIOR officials responsible for compiling the British government’s dossier on Iraqi weapons ignored concerns among the intelligence analysts about key claims in the document, the Hutton Inquiry was told yesterday.

Tony Blair today told of his concern that the British government “handle by the book” the emergence of a possible source for a controversial report on its Iraqi weapons dossier.

Tony Blair has said the aim of the dossier detailing Britain's reasons for going to war against Iraq was "to disclose the reasons why we felt this issue had to be informed".

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was today due to explain his role in events leading up to the apparent suicide of his government's weapons expert Dr David Kelly.

BRITISH intelligence agencies were issued with an 11th-hour appeal for more evidence to strengthen Downing Street’s dossier on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, it was disclosed yesterday.

TONY BLAIR was yesterday facing a make-or-break week as he prepared to appear before the inquiry into the death of Ministry of Defence weapons expert Dr David Kelly.

DR DAVID KELLY’S widow officially protested to Tony Blair about spin doctors smearing him, secret documents reveal.

DOWNING Street communications chief Alastair Campbell yesterday acknowledged he had seen David Kelly as the key to resolving the British Government’s bitter battle with the BBC over the Iraq weapons dossier.

Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell today acknowledged that he had seen Dr David Kelly as the key to resolving the British government’s bitter battle with the BBC over the Iraq weapons dossier.

Tony Blair's spin doctor Alastair Campbell was today giving evidence to the inquiry into Dr David Kelly’s death.

DOWNING STREET authorised a “substantial rewrite” of the British government’s Iraqi weapons dossier in the run-up to its publication, according to evidence presented yesterday to the inquiry into the death of the government scientist David Kelly.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair summoned crisis talks to discuss how the Government should handle the news that David Kelly may have leaked information to the media, the inquiry into the scientist's death heard today.

BRITISH Government weapons expert David Kelly was made to undergo a second grilling by Ministry of Defence managers over his contacts with a BBC journalist after the intervention of Prime Minister Tony Blair, the inquiry into his death heard yesterday.

INTELLIGENCE officials were so concerned about the British Government’s Iraqi weapons dossier some complained formally to their superiors, the inquiry into the death of weapons expert David Kelly was told yesterday.

THE row over the British Government’s Iraq arms dossier took a tragic turn yesterday after the defence official at the centre of the row was found dead.