From the Times (UK):
By Philip Webster and Tom Baldwin
TONY BLAIR yesterday denied lying over the death of David Kelly and declared that if he had done so he would have resigned.
Tension over the forthcoming report by Lord Hutton was laid bare at Prime Minister's Questions yesterday as Michael Howard showed that he intends to go for the jugular by targeting Mr Blair's role. He launched an effort, that will continue up to and after publication of the Hutton report, to prove that Mr Blair lied in claiming that he had not authorised the leaking of Dr Kelly's name.
The Tory leader is banking much on a statement by Mr Blair, four days after the death, that "emphatically" he did not authorise the leaking of the name of Dr Kelly, and evidence to the inquiry by Sir Kevin Tebbit, the top official at the Ministry of Defence, that Mr Blair had presided over a meeting which authorised press officers to confirm the name of Dr Kelly if the media came up with it.
Mr Blair contends that there is a distinction between leaking the name and allowing officials to confirm a name if the press came up with it.
Mr Howard is refusing to accept the distinction and believes the public will see it as quibbling. He is gambling on Lord Hutton doing the same. He said in the Commons that either Sir Kevin or Mr Blair was not telling the truth. Mr Blair responded: "No it is not -- as I believe we will show when the inquiry report is published." He accused Mr Howard of trying to prejudge the inquiry. Mr Blair said he stood by the "totality" of what he said four days after Dr Kelly's death and suggested that Mr Howard had chosen not to.
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