The Burden of Power: Countdown to Iraq - The Alastair Campbell Diaries (116 page)

In for a meeting with Clare Sumner and John Scarlett, before my ISC appearance. Clare discovered that I’d said to the FAC that I did see JIC assessments so we had to agree a line on that. John was concerned I had to make clear that I was not chairing intelligence meetings. I was due to give evidence from 8.30 to 9.45. I went over with Clare and Catherine Rimmer. I went in with Ann Taylor [chair], who joked that I had two minders, whereas TB had only had one. It was more relaxed than the FAC. I got them laughing telling them the story about how John Sergeant didn’t want the PM to come down the plane to see the press because he was watching a film.

Michael Mates [Conservative MP] was very friendly, made a joke about a bet we once had and also said he had no doubt I did not put the 45-minute point in the dossier and he hoped the committee would say so. Gavin Strang [Labour MP] was interested in whether we should use intelligence publicly at all. Ditto others, but I felt it went OK. Mates put to me that C had said that no intelligence should be used with other material but I was not aware of that and said so as it didn’t accord with my memory. It was over in just an hour. The
clerk asked me via Ann T if I thought Gilligan should go to jail. I said don’t get me going.

We then left for the airport, and on the plane [to America], TB was working on his speech [to Congress, where he was being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal]. He was very keen for it to be a pro-US as well as pro-EU speech. We didn’t bother seeing the press on the way out. We flew over Guantanamo Bay, and agreed it was best to play it low profile but argue for change. The speech was strong and between us we made it stronger.

Cherie was in friendlier than usual form but meanwhile back home John Burton [Blair’s constituency agent] had got a tip that ‘enemies of CB’ were going to meet at the Hilton Olympia in Kensington, and Fiona asked Mark Bennett [Labour press officer] to check it out covertly. It turned out to be a meeting in the bar between Ian Monk [PR] and Paul Dacre. Mark somehow got close enough to hear them, make notes and he reported back a lot of detail re their discussion about Carole [Caplin]. I did a note to TB which also included the fact that Monk sent a statement to PA re Cherie’s clothes in Washington. I felt bad that I was going to be leaving him when things were getting tougher not easier. Also GB was really motoring now.

We landed and straight away I had a rash of messages re Gilligan’s evidence to the FAC. Basically Donald Anderson went out with John Stanley and Andrew MacKinlay and then said that Gilligan was an unsatisfactory witness, that he had changed his story re me, and there was a danger of unfairness to me. So we were pretty happy about that. We had a discussion about whether I should say something. Godric and I thought maybe but TB felt it was better that I stay out. We went up to Congress, where we had a discussion and then a conference call about it. It was clearly the best news we’d had for ages, and Tom K in London said it was running very much for us and against Gilligan and I should stay out. TB got an amazing reception at Congress. It was interesting to watch which parts of the speech went down particularly well with Democrats, and which with Republicans. It was a good speech though. Our press were obsessing about his line ‘if we are wrong’ re the WMD/terrorism link, and saying it was moving the goalposts.
⁶⁸

Then up to the White House. As we walked into the Oval Office, Bush was very friendly, said ‘Hey, congratulations, you took on the
bastards, and you did great.’ He said he had seen some of my testimony and that Dan [Bartlett] had kept him informed. ‘You did great. You showed that if you are in the right, if you believe it, and you give no quarter, you can prevail.’ He kept coming back to it during the meeting, almost embarrassingly so. Cheney was as impassive as ever, [Colin] Powell was chirpy but looking tired, while Condi was more subdued than usual. At the press conference Adam Boulton gave TB a full toss on the BBC but TB didn’t really hit it to the boundary.

We went out for a drink on the balcony overlooking the lawns. The mood was pretty relaxed. They did a bit of substance on Iraq, but not much. They agreed that [Paul] Bremer needed a lot more help. On the [Guantanamo] detainees, Bush said his big worry was that one day one of them got out and killed someone. TB at one point asked him about Libya and it was clear from the answer that Bush thought he meant Liberia. GWB was now smoking a massive cigar and producing huge amounts of smoke. I was also struck by his shoes, which looked phenomenally expensive. At the dinner, I was seated between Powell and Dan. Apart from a fairly interesting discussion on Africa, it was mainly small talk. I had enjoyed the trip, but was also glad that I was now heading home rather than going on with TB to the Far East. I headed to the airport with Sally and Alison, who had a selection of very good cuttings about Gilligan from the first editions. There was a Tory MEP at the airport who said he was proud to be British listening to TB’s speech to Congress.

We landed at Heathrow about 9am, and we sat there for ages. I turned on the phone, and got a message from media monitoring that Kelly had disappeared. Then a message to call the Number 10 duty clerk, very urgent. I was told Kelly had gone for a walk yesterday and his wife [Janice] had reported him missing this morning. I felt sick. I called Tom. It took ages to get off the plane and when we did I felt dreadful. I told Sally and Alison, who were both shocked. I could sense a juggernaut moving my way. Terry [Rayner, Number 10 driver] drove me home. I spoke to Hoon who said [Kevin] Tebbit would handle it initially but he would go up on the media if needed. He said he felt it had to be properly handled from the start. I then spoke to JP in Cyprus. He said he felt he should come back, and I was grateful. In part it was about himself. He said he was worried that with TB out of the country, they’d come looking for him on a beach, and he also said he could be back to steady things. He felt GH and
JS were a bit too close to it all and I should stay out of it. I said what will Pauline think about it, and he said don’t worry, I’ll sort it.

Then Tom told me that a body had been found. This was getting more and more grim. Tom did the eleven o’clock. Then TB came on from the plane. I said I’d really had enough. He said we should announce a judicial inquiry now. I said I really wanted to go and felt I should do it now. I had been determined to clear my name, I was always going to go now, it may not seem the time to do it, but it’s exactly the time to do it because I was clear it had all gone too far and we needed to step back and think. Philip came round to the house and was in two minds. He felt wait until tomorrow. TB said it would be a disaster for me if I did that. Charlie Falconer [Lord Chancellor], who called me re the inquiry, said I would be mad to do it. All people would remember is Dr Kelly killed himself and AC went. They would not hear your arguments and they’d think you were making it about you. TB called a couple of times and said we have to be really strong about this. I said I’m fed up being strong, I want to get a life back. There was a mass of photographers outside by now.

I called Neil [Kinnock] who clearly didn’t know about Kelly and was telling me that Gilligan was done for. I told him re Kelly and he said Jesus H. Christ. I said what to do. He said hold tight, be strong and don’t let the bastards take you as a scalp. He said he would support me whatever but felt I had to do that. Peter M came on, said I must not go, now or in the future, because that was what they all wanted. You must hang in. John Scarlett called and we had a long chat about the whole thing. He was very supportive, said that even though he’d had a bit of flak, he felt fine. Charlie F said I’d be mad if I quit, Peter M said I’d regret it, TB thought it would be really bad for me, Godric that it would look like my fault.

Jonathan called from the US, said he felt physically sick, and should he come back to help? I said no, he said don’t do anything rash. Rebekah [Wade] sent me a nice message, you’ve done nothing wrong, told the truth, more principles than these other people. Just hang in and don’t give them the satisfaction. Piers [Morgan] was not totally unsympathetic but felt there was no escape for me or for Tony. He felt the mood had just turned, and people would keep going on it. I was the story and that was that even though it was unfair. Fiona was desperate for me to go. So was I now. But I wanted some honour and dignity. Things quietened down but then I wept because of the pressures I was under, and the sadness I felt for Kelly’s family. JP called after his return and said he would be around to help if needed. The
rolling news was relentless and really grim. Everyone feeling grim about it all. I said to journalists who got through on the phone that I was shocked and felt dreadful, it was about our media culture, but I had done nothing wrong.

The papers, as expected, were totally grim, the
Mail
needless to say the worst, pictures of TB, Hoon and me and ‘Proud Of Yourselves?’ Lots re me and suggestions that I would get the blame. The
Mail
was disgusting, the
Telegraph
less so. The only person who came out well was Kelly. There was not nearly enough directed towards the BBC. Cameras started gathering outside at 6 and by 9 there were four or five film crews and a dozen or so photographers. We had to go through the elaborate charade of getting the kids and Fiona out first and then being driven to meet them. I got Mel [Cooke, a neighbour] to drive me away, and she said she had always had a fantasy about being a getaway driver. The mood of the hacks was reasonably sombre but they still asked if I planned to resign, and later that cunt Jonathan Oliver [
Mail on Sunday
reporter] asked TB if he had blood on his hands.

During the day, lots of people called with messages of support. John Reid, who said his secretary was really angry and hang in. Kim Howells – don’t let the bastards get you down, because lots of our people love you. Margaret Beckett said she was really angry the media could blame me when this was about the media. Blunkett – solidarity and support. Bruce Grocott of course, Syd Young [former
Mirror
journalist], Richard Stott, [Roy] Greenslade [both former
Mirror
editors] who all said this was about the curse of modern journalism.

But the most important conversation was with JP. He’d come back yesterday and did a little doorstep at the Policy Forum. I asked him what he thought I should do. He said I hope you stay because you’re a vital part of the team and I think TB still needs you. But everyone will be giving you advice because of what THEY want, not what’s best for you. You’ve been under massive pressure for years, paid a big price and so has Fiona, who has lost her sparkle. I’ve noticed you’ve been a bit detached and so has she and you should do what you think is right for you. I asked if he thought I could go before the inquiries were completed and he said no. But then as with David Mills [husband of Tessa Jowell], he came round to it being possible. Everyone I spoke to felt I was in the right, but maybe that was because of the kind of people who phoned me. JP and I also discussed
TB/GB and he said it was bad on both sides. He was pissed off that TB wanted Douglas and Hazel Blears on the NEC rather than GB. TB had complained GB had not even discussed it with him, but JP felt they were as bad as each other. TB did the press conference in Tokyo and looked dreadful.

Clive Hollick [Labour peer and media businessman] called me, said he’d been to a BBC do last night and they were all very bullish, behaving arrogantly like it was their duty to bring down the government. He said Dyke was defensive and non-apologetic, but did say they were thinking of making clear Gilligan’s only source was Kelly, and they wanted to know what we would do about it. I said we would not make any comment, and TB later said we must not cause them any mischief. TB was looking haggard and unshaven as they arrived in Japan.

The body was formally identified, Clare Sumner was checking out what kind of an inquiry it would be. She spoke to the secretary [to the Hutton Inquiry, Lee Hughes] who said it would be MoD people first, then the BBC. I said it was important we send them our side of the story and try to get the facts clear early. I was feeling very down by now. Much of the press gunned at me. Brendan Foster called and said he felt TB should do more, be more human and emotional, make clear nobody wanted this to happen. He told me the story of a journalist who killed himself, and at the time a colleague got the blame but in fact it turned out the guy’s wife had left him with their four children. He said the point is that people who kill themselves are disturbed, and they say things in suicide notes and final conversations that can haunt other people forever. He felt strongly that I should not do anything rash and hang in for now.

Philip said Peter M was spooked about me going because of something GB said to him once, namely that TB was a weak person with two strong people – me and Peter – propping him up. He felt that once we were gone, TB was gone too. The Kelly family issued a statement which basically said everyone should think deeply about the fact his life had been made intolerable. This would obviously be a hard time. TB called. It was 5am there. He said he couldn’t sleep, he felt grim and was about to do an interview with [Adam] Boulton, which he didn’t want to do. He said I had to stay and we had to fight this through.

I didn’t read the papers but by all accounts they were pretty grim. The main focus was on the Kelly family statement, alongside lots of
commentary about us, very little of it nice. I went for a run and felt myself moving towards saying something about it. I went through my argument and the various scenarios. I had a long chat with JP. He said he was glad he came back, said he’d thought about my position. He felt I’d done my bit for TB and the government and should be allowed to decide the next part for myself. I said maybe long term it was the right thing for Tony because he’d be able to reorder things for the future. JP said you’ve obviously decided to go. I think you deserve to do what you want. We discussed the call from Clare Sumner a few moments earlier that the BBC were about to make a statement that Kelly was the source. JP agreed I had a window and should seize it and go for it if I felt it was the right thing to do. The BBC statement went out. Sky really going for the BBC, but the BBC’s own coverage was like
Pravda
.