Former ministers pile pressure on Blair over Kelly affair

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

As Lord Hutton was set to draw up a list of witnesses he believes should be cross-examined at the inquiry into Dr Kelly’s death, the prime minister was warned that Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon must not be “the only one who carries the can”. Mr Hoon, almost certainly top of the senior law lord’s “recall” list which is expected to be revealed at the end of this week, is in the firing line for not telling the inquiry the extent of his role in the strategy to name Dr Kelly.

But former Labour defence minister Doug Henderson said it was clear that Downing Street had played a part in the controversial plan, whereby Dr Kelly’s name became public after a trail of clues from the Ministry of Defence.