Brown vs. Chilcot

Gordon Brown goes up before the Chilcot enquiry on Iraq today in two, two-hour sessions that will take up both morning and afternoon. At first glance it would not seem to have a day that Labour would have chosen for the PM’s evidence, just in time for a Saturday and Sunday press just aching for 7-page specials on the report to fill their larger weekend editions. I would guess the reporters at The Independent, in particular, are licking their lips.

On second thoughts, though, it seems like a canny move. By arranging things this way Brown’s evidence will be split from next week’s sessions by a few extra days. In addition, the weekly gauntlet of Newsnight and Question Time has already been run. By next week there is the suspicion that these programmes will not run today’s session because it is ‘old news’. Admittedly there is still Marr and the Politics Show on Sunday, but these are in no way seen as threatening as Paxman and Dimbleby.

Regardless of the wherefores and whys, it is an important and challenging day for Brown. When defence questions come up in the House, he is able to hide behind spending on ‘urgent operational requirements’ to cover up the huge lack of planned defence expenditure. In the Enquiry room, however, such obfuscation will cut no ice. I would expect a good deal of questioning on the ‘guillotining’ of the defence budget, on helicopters and on Snatch Land Rovers. Sadly, the enquiry’s scope only extends to the run up to the Iraq war, so there will be no time to discuss the ruinous procurement and purchasing policies that this (and, indeed, former) governments have implemented that so increase the cost of our most basic defence needs.

We shall see what transpires. Incidentally, I am sure the Conservatives are more than happy for Chilcot to dominate the weekend news agenda. Whether it is getting through to the electorate or not (and I would still argue not), any break from coverage of Lord Ashcroft will be very welcome…