liadnan

I now understand why the back, Carey Street, entrance to the RCJ, which I use all the time, has somewhat irritatingly been shut "for the duration of the Hutton Inquiry". On my way down to the bank just now I had to force my way through the slavering press pack waiting outside the usually-closed Bell Yard entrance, so they've presumably moved the staff and security equipment round there. Gilligan's giving evidence today and a glance at the BBC website reveals it could be quite damaging to the government's case on the wider issues: it seems Kelly "agreed the quotes". Coming on top of Howard's evidence yesterday that the intelligence services were unimpressed by the wording -though not the content- of the dossier I think things aren't looking too good for them on this one. Having said that, it does seem Gilligan was sloppy. I was worried that might turn out to be the case.
I'm ambivalent about this Inquiry. Kelly killed himself, which is sad. (I have no reason to think the theories he was murdered are anything more than crackpot tinhat conspiracy theories. Qui bono?) But many, many people do that, and sometimes they do so because they're depressed about what either the government (tax returns?) or the media have done to their lives. The wider question that matters to the public is whether Gilligan was right, and, following on from that, whether there are in fact any weapons. This all despite my oft-reiterated and still-held opinions on the war itself.
In other news I went to the proms last night, again, in semi-company (they had seats, I just did the usual) with Rob and Steph's sister. Strauss tone poem, which was a load of sound and fury signifying nothing in my book, a Mahler song cycle that I love but where the tuning was somewhat dodgy, but redeeming all that a fabulous performance of Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. To be fair, big impressive pieces are undoubtedly easier than smaller, more contemplative works to bring off when the atmosphere is making a mockery of any attempt to keep tuning in line.
I have various other thoughts but I'm tired and busy, so you'll have to sit on the edges of your seats, breath bated, until I return. Similarly various comments here and emails elsewhere are delayed due to leaves on the line.