*Ø* Blogmanac | Blair Denies Leaking Scientist's Name
HONG KONG/LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair angrily denied suggestions on Tuesday that he allowed David Kelly's name to be leaked to media in a row over the Iraq war which apparently drove the scientist to suicide. As opinion polls showed his personal rating being hammered, Blair told reporters during a flight to Hong Kong he believed he had done nothing wrong.
"Emphatically not. I did not authorize the leaking of the name of David Kelly," he replied sharply in response to reporters' questions.
An ICM poll in the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday showed public trust in Blair -- once one of the most popular premiers in British history -- slumped by 12 points in the past month to 39 percent. It also showed Blair's personal approval rating had dropped to minus 17, down from plus seven on the so-called "Baghdad Bounce" immediately after the war.
Blair's denial of any involvement in the naming of Kelly appeared to conflict with comments on Monday by his official spokesman, who said the prime minister's office had been consulted about the process which led to Kelly being named, but that the Ministry of Defense had made the decision.
"We were consulted but the Ministry of Defense were the lead department and remained the lead department," he said in London. British newspapers interpreted that as an attempt by Blair's team to place responsibility for the name leak at Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon's door.
Source
HONG KONG/LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair angrily denied suggestions on Tuesday that he allowed David Kelly's name to be leaked to media in a row over the Iraq war which apparently drove the scientist to suicide. As opinion polls showed his personal rating being hammered, Blair told reporters during a flight to Hong Kong he believed he had done nothing wrong.
"Emphatically not. I did not authorize the leaking of the name of David Kelly," he replied sharply in response to reporters' questions.
An ICM poll in the Guardian newspaper on Tuesday showed public trust in Blair -- once one of the most popular premiers in British history -- slumped by 12 points in the past month to 39 percent. It also showed Blair's personal approval rating had dropped to minus 17, down from plus seven on the so-called "Baghdad Bounce" immediately after the war.
Blair's denial of any involvement in the naming of Kelly appeared to conflict with comments on Monday by his official spokesman, who said the prime minister's office had been consulted about the process which led to Kelly being named, but that the Ministry of Defense had made the decision.
"We were consulted but the Ministry of Defense were the lead department and remained the lead department," he said in London. British newspapers interpreted that as an attempt by Blair's team to place responsibility for the name leak at Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon's door.
Source
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