The atmosphere was hostile.But then Dr Kelly said he did not think he could have been the source, and the MPs swung on to his side. Had he reneged on a deal? It is impossible to say, but it is becoming increasingly clear that he was less than truthful with the committee - denying, for example, that he had met Gavin Hewitt, the third BBC journalist, which he had done.Whatever went on at the MoD, it must have been clear to Dr Kelly after the hearing that his security clearance might be in jeopardy, perhaps also his chances of taking up his post in Iraq, a country to which he was deeply attached. His friend and fellow weapons expert Alistair Hay, whose wife committed suicide, believes the scientist felt deeply isolated."It wasn't as if the MoD were saying, 'You're our man, we're supporting you to the hilt'," said Professor Hay. "He was being fed to everyone as being the person probably responsible for the Government's difficulty ...
If he felt he had been less than truthful before the committee ... [and] had been caught dissembling and not being absolutely truthful, I would have thought this would create huge conflicts for him."But did this lead David Kelly to kill himself? That is a question for Lord Hutton and the coroner, but it goes to the heart of the Government's case for going to war. How far the law lord will want to travel down that path remains to be seen.. We have some good news and some bad news for Tony Blair.
The upside is that at last his holiday in Barbados is beckoning; the downside is that it may not be quite the trouble-free break in paradise that he and his family are expecting We have some good news and some bad news for Tony Blair. The Blairs will be visiting in the middle of the humid rainy season, which can produce the occasional severe flood, and hurricanes are regular occurrences.It is true that the last plague of locusts hit the island in 1663, but knowing the way this year's gone for Blair, it would be a bold man who bet against them striking again.And in a way, they might. For even as Euan, Nicky, Kathryn and little Leo look forward to that day's fun and games, they may find one of the world's more notorious pests descending on them.Fleet Street's finest spoilsports will be at the gates, clamouring for photo opportunities, and a few of their more resourceful operatives may even be alighting on trees and the stouter vegetation, seeking a vantage point.And then there is the house where the Blairs will be staying, lent to them in return for a donation to charity by Sir Cliff Richard, owner of one of Britain's more notable perma-tans, and the man responsible for such contributions to culture as "Milk Cow Blues" and "Congratulations".Sir Cliff's spread is in a gated and guarded community in the Sugar Hill area, a few miles inland from the island's west coast. It boasts six bedrooms, swimming pool and a tennis court, and its weekly rental on the open market would be around £10,000 a week Very New Labour Somewhat less so are some of Barbados's laws. Capital punishment is still on statute books, gay sex is outlawed and, instead of foxes, green monkeys are hunted with a bounty of $7.50 (£4.60) per tail. No anti-hunting bill there, then.And democracy rears its ugly head, too; for in theory nowhere on the island is there a private beach But all is not lost.