W. G. Runciman (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263297
- eISBN:
- 9780191734519
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263297.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, UK Politics
These chapters offer penetrating insights into the events and controversies that have dominated the news agenda for the last two years. Never has the path to a British war been mapped so fully and ...
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These chapters offer penetrating insights into the events and controversies that have dominated the news agenda for the last two years. Never has the path to a British war been mapped so fully and swiftly as the road to Baghdad in 2002–3. Between them, the Hutton and Butler reports lifted the lid on the most intimate workings of government and those who strive to convert information into a weapon — whether they be a Prime Minister in Downing Street, an MI6 agent in the field, an intelligence analyst in Whitehall, or a journalist attempting to fuse fragments into hard copy. Within days of Lord Butler reporting on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, on British intelligence assessments of their quantity and lethality and on the ingredients of the Blair Cabinet's decision to go to war, the British Academy brought together a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners to probe the deeper themes at play in the rush of events and inquests. The chapters examine: the legal issues raised by the manner and content of Lord Hutton's inquiry; the light both Hutton and Butler shed on the Blair style of government; and the matter of trust between government, the governed and the news media.Less
These chapters offer penetrating insights into the events and controversies that have dominated the news agenda for the last two years. Never has the path to a British war been mapped so fully and swiftly as the road to Baghdad in 2002–3. Between them, the Hutton and Butler reports lifted the lid on the most intimate workings of government and those who strive to convert information into a weapon — whether they be a Prime Minister in Downing Street, an MI6 agent in the field, an intelligence analyst in Whitehall, or a journalist attempting to fuse fragments into hard copy. Within days of Lord Butler reporting on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, on British intelligence assessments of their quantity and lethality and on the ingredients of the Blair Cabinet's decision to go to war, the British Academy brought together a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners to probe the deeper themes at play in the rush of events and inquests. The chapters examine: the legal issues raised by the manner and content of Lord Hutton's inquiry; the light both Hutton and Butler shed on the Blair style of government; and the matter of trust between government, the governed and the news media.
Peter Hennessy
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263297
- eISBN:
- 9780191734519
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263297.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, UK Politics
This chapter examines the positive legislative and governmental impacts of the Hutton and Butler Reports. It describes how Lord Hutton worked by assessing the evidence in terms of charges made and ...
More
This chapter examines the positive legislative and governmental impacts of the Hutton and Butler Reports. It describes how Lord Hutton worked by assessing the evidence in terms of charges made and how Robin Butler and his colleagues worked like contemporary historians by reconstructing reality from documents and oral evidence. It suggests that the Hutton and Button Reports could lead to a significant and enduring shift in the balance of power between the Executive and the Legislature.Less
This chapter examines the positive legislative and governmental impacts of the Hutton and Butler Reports. It describes how Lord Hutton worked by assessing the evidence in terms of charges made and how Robin Butler and his colleagues worked like contemporary historians by reconstructing reality from documents and oral evidence. It suggests that the Hutton and Button Reports could lead to a significant and enduring shift in the balance of power between the Executive and the Legislature.
W. G. Runciman
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263297
- eISBN:
- 9780191734519
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263297.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, UK Politics
This chapter discusses the information provided by the Hutton Report and the Butler Report concerning the bases of the British government's decision to join the U.S. in overturning Saddam Hussein for ...
More
This chapter discusses the information provided by the Hutton Report and the Butler Report concerning the bases of the British government's decision to join the U.S. in overturning Saddam Hussein for his alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It suggests that nothing revealed in the reports could bring an agreement to whether British Prime Minister Tony Blair was right in his decision, but those who have read the reports could surely conclude that the government, the intelligence services, and the BBC fell short of what have been expected of them at a time when Britain was on the brink of being taken into a war. It discusses the similarities between the Iraq War and the Suez Canal conflict.Less
This chapter discusses the information provided by the Hutton Report and the Butler Report concerning the bases of the British government's decision to join the U.S. in overturning Saddam Hussein for his alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It suggests that nothing revealed in the reports could bring an agreement to whether British Prime Minister Tony Blair was right in his decision, but those who have read the reports could surely conclude that the government, the intelligence services, and the BBC fell short of what have been expected of them at a time when Britain was on the brink of being taken into a war. It discusses the similarities between the Iraq War and the Suez Canal conflict.
Michael Quinlan
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263297
- eISBN:
- 9780191734519
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263297.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, UK Politics
This chapter examines the governmental process lessons that can be learned from the Hutton and Butler Reports. Though the Hutton and Butler inquiries were directly concerned with aspects of the Iraq ...
More
This chapter examines the governmental process lessons that can be learned from the Hutton and Butler Reports. Though the Hutton and Butler inquiries were directly concerned with aspects of the Iraq saga, they had interest and significance reaching beyond the Iraq issue. This chapter explains that the inquiries prompted questions about the place of such investigations in British constitutional practice and that the unfettered access to information given to the investigators yielded an extraordinarily close and revealing portrait of how contemporary government at the centre of the British system has been functioning.Less
This chapter examines the governmental process lessons that can be learned from the Hutton and Butler Reports. Though the Hutton and Butler inquiries were directly concerned with aspects of the Iraq saga, they had interest and significance reaching beyond the Iraq issue. This chapter explains that the inquiries prompted questions about the place of such investigations in British constitutional practice and that the unfettered access to information given to the investigators yielded an extraordinarily close and revealing portrait of how contemporary government at the centre of the British system has been functioning.
