Blair chaired meeting on naming of Kelly, inquiry told

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair chaired the “decisive” meeting which led to the naming of Government scientist David Kelly, the Ministry of Defence’s most senior official said yesterday.

At the meeting in 10 Downing Street on July 8, it was agreed Dr Kelly’s name would be confirmed to any journalist who independently came up with it, MoD permanent secretary Kevin Tebbit told the Hutton Inquiry into the weapons expert’s death.

Conservative MPs said Mr Tebbit’s evidence was “yet another damning indictment” of Mr Blair’s handling of the Kelly case, revealing his earlier claims not to have been involved in the development of a strategy for naming him as a “sham”.