News • 20 July 2003

Tony Blair under intense pressure over Kelly death

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, faces one of his toughest moments of his political career after the apparent suicide of a man his office accused of being a mole. After a warm and tumultuous welcome in the US congress, the British minister faces tough times over his handling of David Kelly the Ministry of Defence expert.

Dr Kelly was accused of being the government consultant responsible for leaking confidential information to the BBC and led to intense pressure on Tony Blair.

Police yesterday confirmed that a body found in an Oxfordshire woodland was that of Dr David Kelly.

The post-mortem revealed the death was caused by a cut to the left wrist and a knife was found nearby, along with a packet of painkillers

David Kelly was named by Blair’s right hand man former journalist Alistair Campbell as the possible source for the report that Downing Street ‘sexed up’ - a dossier on Iraq's illegal weapons.

Later, Government weapons adviser Kelly admitted he had met BBC defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan a week before the report which sparked a furious row between the government and the BBC.

Yesterday during a press conference in Hakone, where he was meeting his Japanese counterpart on the first leg of a tour of Far East tour Blair was asked by a Japanese journalist if he had Dr Kelly's death on his conscience. Blair’s reply was that, at this early stage, one should not rush to hasty conclusions.