Dramatic week ahead at Hutton

By Sean Curran BBC political correspondent

Talk about the post-holiday blues. Tony Blair flew back from his Caribbean holiday at the end of last week and went straight to Chequers.

He spent the bank holiday weekend with government lawyers preparing for his appearance before the inquiry into Dr David Kelly's death.

As the prime minister got ready for his turn in the witness box, the Hutton Inquiry released hundreds of normally secret documents on its website.

The e-mails, notes and memos are part of the written evidence that has been submitted to Lord Hutton by the government and the BBC.

MAIN WITNESSES THIS WEEK TUESDAY 26 AUGUST John Scarlett, chairman of the Cabinet Office Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) WEDNESDAY 27 AUGUST Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary THURSDAY 28 AUGUST Tony Blair, Prime Minister Gavyn Davies, BBC Chairman

Such sensitive material would normally be kept under lock and key for at least 30 years.

It all adds to the pressure on Mr Blair and we expect to hear lots of media chatter about a "make or break" performance ahead of the prime minister's visit to the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday.

At 1030 BST the prime minister will step into the witness box in Court 73 for two and a half hours of questioning from barristers working for the inquiry.

A lawyer by profession, he is unlikely to be thrown by the courtroom environment.

He will have to answer detailed questions, but this will be a more straightforward affair than a media interview or Prime Minister's Questions.

Mr Blair will step into the witness box in Court 73 for two and a half hours of questioning

For one thing, the Hutton Inquiry's senior lawyer, James Dingemans QC, is unlikely to interrupt or barrack his witness.

So, what can Mr Blair expect? There will be questions about what role he played in the decision to leak Dr Kelly's name to the media.

And of course he will be asked about his involvement with last September's now notorious intelligence dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

The Liberal Democrat's Foreign Affairs spokesman, Menzies Campbell, who is also a QC, expects Tony Blair to be asked serious questions about the dossier.

"What he understood about who had responsibility for it; when he wrote the foreword which suggested that the threat was current and serious?"

Hoon's tough questions

The prime minister can also expect to be asked about some of the information that has emerged from the first two weeks of the Hutton Inquiry.

Not least, the views of his chief of staff, Jonathan Powell, who expressed reservations about the controversial claim that Iraq posed an imminent threat.

One Labour member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Fabian Hamilton, has already speculated that Mr Hoon may be 'a sacrificial lamb'

But Tony Blair is not the only star witness scheduled to appear before the inquiry.

On Wednesday, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will give evidence.

He can expect to face some tough questions about his handling of Dr Kelly's case.

It has also emerged the defence secretary overruled the advice of senior civil servants, and decided the weapons expert should appear before MPs on the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.

Did he do enough to protect Dr Kelly? What role did he play in the decision to confirm Dr Kelly's name to reporters?

One Labour member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Fabian Hamilton, has already speculated that Mr Hoon may be "a sacrificial lamb".

BBC chairman

And it is not just cabinet careers on the line.

The chairman of the BBC, Gavyn Davies, will also appear before the inquiry.

He is also due to give evidence on Thursday and will go into the witness box just a few hours after Tony Blair.

He will face questions about the BBC's handling of this story and the role of the BBC's governors.

There is a long way to go before Lord Hutton publishes his report.

Some of his witnesses may have to make a return visit to the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand to face cross-examination.

But this promises to be one of the most dramatic weeks in the inquiry and perhaps - just perhaps - in modern British politics.