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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| War was Blair's 'hardest choice' | War was Blair's 'hardest choice' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Going to war with Iraq was the "most difficult decision" of Tony Blair's life, his former media chief Alastair Campbell has told the BBC's Sunday AM. | Going to war with Iraq was the "most difficult decision" of Tony Blair's life, his former media chief Alastair Campbell has told the BBC's Sunday AM. |
| But the decision was "driven by the right motives", Mr Campbell said. | But the decision was "driven by the right motives", Mr Campbell said. |
| Speaking ahead of the publication of his diaries, he insisted the Hutton Inquiry was right not to blame Mr Blair for the death of Dr David Kelly. | Speaking ahead of the publication of his diaries, he insisted the Hutton Inquiry was right not to blame Mr Blair for the death of Dr David Kelly. |
| But aside from a few exceptions, the weapons expert's suicide was "the worst period of my life", Mr Campbell said. | But aside from a few exceptions, the weapons expert's suicide was "the worst period of my life", Mr Campbell said. |
| "I was a player in a series of events that somehow or other led to a man deciding he should kill himself," he added. | "I was a player in a series of events that somehow or other led to a man deciding he should kill himself," he added. |
| Dr Kelly killed himself after he was exposed as the source of allegations made by the BBC that intelligence justifying the war in Iraq had been knowingly "sexed up". | Dr Kelly killed himself after he was exposed as the source of allegations made by the BBC that intelligence justifying the war in Iraq had been knowingly "sexed up". |
| Mr Campbell insisted he had acted properly, but added: "All of us have to accept that as that was happening there was stuff going on that was leading that particular individual to feel despair." | Mr Campbell insisted he had acted properly, but added: "All of us have to accept that as that was happening there was stuff going on that was leading that particular individual to feel despair." |
| 'Right thing' | 'Right thing' |
| In 2002, Mr Campbell said Mr Blair was considering resigning before the 2005 general election. | |
| I was alongside Tony as he made what was clearly the most difficult decision of his life and of his career Alastair Campbell Extracts from memoirs | I was alongside Tony as he made what was clearly the most difficult decision of his life and of his career Alastair Campbell Extracts from memoirs |
| "I think it was the one period in his premiership when he really felt the pressures of the job. He was - for him - quite down about things. | "I think it was the one period in his premiership when he really felt the pressures of the job. He was - for him - quite down about things. |
| "I think he was thinking... about whether it would give him more ability to push through domestic reform." | "I think he was thinking... about whether it would give him more ability to push through domestic reform." |
| Mr Campbell said the former prime minister thought going to war in Iraq was the "right thing to do". | Mr Campbell said the former prime minister thought going to war in Iraq was the "right thing to do". |
| "I was alongside Tony as he made what was clearly the most difficult decision of his life and of his career. | "I was alongside Tony as he made what was clearly the most difficult decision of his life and of his career. |
| "I hope (my book) gives people a sense of just how seriously he took that decision." | "I hope (my book) gives people a sense of just how seriously he took that decision." |
| 'Out of business' | 'Out of business' |
| The diaries, The Blair Years, also recall the former prime minister's idea to recruit then Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown in 1997. | The diaries, The Blair Years, also recall the former prime minister's idea to recruit then Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown in 1997. |
| Mr Campbell writes: "He stunned me straight out with the boldest plan yet. 'How would people feel if I gave Paddy a place in the Cabinet and started merger talks?' | Mr Campbell writes: "He stunned me straight out with the boldest plan yet. 'How would people feel if I gave Paddy a place in the Cabinet and started merger talks?' |
| "He was making a cup of tea and chuckling, 'We could put the Tories out of business for a generation.' " | "He was making a cup of tea and chuckling, 'We could put the Tories out of business for a generation.' " |
| Mr Campbell defended his decision to publish his diaries and denied he been asked to remove references to Gordon Brown. | Mr Campbell defended his decision to publish his diaries and denied he been asked to remove references to Gordon Brown. |
| But he had done so willingly, he said, to stop Tory leader David Cameron thinking he had "a gold mine to use against the new Labour prime minister". | But he had done so willingly, he said, to stop Tory leader David Cameron thinking he had "a gold mine to use against the new Labour prime minister". |