so we have the terms of reference from Chilcot in respect of the Iraq Inquiry.
What I should say is that of course the proceedings should be in public. But more importantly it must be streamed on the internet, with all the transcripts made immediately available, again over the net.
What must also be allowed is for the public to be able to see the same evidence which is presented to the independent committee and for us to be able to suggest a question which we think she be asked based on that evidence. I have a simple persons mistrust of this inquiry because there will come a time when the questioning of the 'witnesses' will maybe not be as rigorous as it could be. Sometimes I myself shout at PMQs because nobody asks the questions which need to be asked.
One of the first documents which must be released is the copy of the secret memorandum of 31 January 2003 where it became apparent that there would not be a UN Resolution and that alternative reasons for regime overthrow must be found, in other words illegal regime change. So, just publish the document now and in full and an awful lot of time, effort and money will be saved.
As many will know I have a close family member who has been prevented by a High Court injunction taken out by the Ministry of Defence from speaking in public about the war. Prevented, not because it breached the Official Secrets Act, or was endangering National Security, but because it was a breach of a confidentiality clause in a contract he had to sign before allowed to join a special part of the services. A clause which was inserted to prevent members from benefiting financially from their involvement in that service.
Now, I know that soldiers signed up to serve their Queen and Country, and that they take the Queens shilling. However, if the war was wrong, if it was not for the reasons that were given to parliament, then I strongly believe that any soldier was 'free' to refuse orders, orders which I regard as being illegal. I can only hope that Chilcot does not get involved in a cover up. The eventual report will not be published until after the General Election. Surely the Committee will be able to criticise any evidence at the time it is given, and not wait until some unspecified time in the fiture. I am concerned already about this inquiry, I have not made my mind up in advance of the evidence, but I have accessed the documents leading up to the Great War, and all that helped do was to contribute to the next one. World War II.