Analysis: Tom Kelly cross-examined

By Nick Assinder
BBC News Online political correspondent at the Hutton inquiry

When the prime minister's official spokesman asked Lord Hutton's QC James Dingemans what lay behind one of his questions, a flurry of sniggers rippled around the watching press corps.

There was absolutely no doubt in anyone else's mind what was behind most of the questions that had been put to Mr Kelly during his second session in front of the inquiry.

Tom Kelly expressed regrets

That the government was desperate to name Dr David Kelly as the source for the BBC's report on the alleged sexing up of the dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

And it was out to rubbish that source as part of its campaign to play down the significance of the BBC report.

All those watching proceedings in the court knew that is what Tom Kelly was being asked - and so did he.

He could not have denied the suggestions more categorically. "Absolutely not" was his stern reply whenever the questioning became that blunt.

But his assertions were constantly tested against the evidence provided by one of the key exhibits put before the inquiry the previous day - the personal diary of his boss, Tony Blair's spin chief Alastair Campbell.

No conspiracy

The diary had provided a fascinating - some have suggested damaging - insight into the atmosphere inside Downing Street at the time the crisis was reaching fever pitch.

References to Mr Campbell's desire to "get the source out" were repeatedly thrown at Mr Kelly to suggest there was a coordinated campaign to unmask Dr Kelly.

There was not and, in any case, he would never have been party to one, insisted the official spokesman.

Any statements he had made about the identity of the, as then anonymous, source were designed in part to truthfully answer journalists question while at the same time protecting Dr Kelly's identity.

And he had never discussed it with Mr Campbell, he said.

Defusing

He was reminded of one briefing he had given to political correspondents at precisely this time during which he had given extra information about the individual.

"At no point did I try to give information or drop clues that I thought would lead to Dr Kelly's identity.

"I tried to give away as little information as possible," he said.

And he flatly denied he had been "giving a steer" to the journalists.

However he said he did believe there had been a chain of events unfolding which, unless the row with the BBC was defused, could only be resolved "in a public way".

He was also again questioned about his infamous comment to journalists suggesting Dr Kelly was a Walter Mitty character.

He has unreservedly apologised to Dr Kelly's family for the comment but it hung over his evidence.

Was it not just another part of that campaign to "belittle and demean" Dr Kelly as part of the war with the BBC?

Mr Kelly looked at his most uncomfortable as he flatly denied that, and he even failed to react when his words were described as a "smear" and a "slur" by QC for Dr Kelly's family Jeremy Gompertz.

But this was not just an uncomfortable session for Mr Kelly, it must have been equally uncomfortable for the government.

Mr Campbell's diary now lurks in the background whenever the issue of the "outing" of Dr Kelly is raised.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon is revealed in the diary as being as eager as was Mr Campbell to "get out" the name of the source.

And all the denials of any campaign to name Dr Kelly are now seen against that backdrop.