The general opinion is that Sir John Chilcot’s terms of reference imply that his Iraq inquiry will be more open than its predecessors and that this is bad news for Brown. Former Defence committee chairman Michael Mates said that, unlike the two inquiries he sat on, Chilcot’s will have “much more independence than the Prime Minister or the government wanted him to have”, estimating that “70% to 80% (of hearings) will be (held) in public.”
William Hague lent his support and believes that the inquiry’s terms are not what the government wanted – as, according to the Standard’s Joe Murphy, Brown and Blair are to be grilled live on television I can well believe that (perhaps we will be treated to a reminder of why Brown decided against televised election debates). Hague is wary that “sessions can be held in private if there is a need for candour – I hope his won’t become an excuse for ministers and former ministers to give evidence in private”.
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