Three items of note in today's Parliamentary business:
1) It has emerged that Cherie Blair signed a copy of the Hutton report that was auctioned to raise funds for the Labour Party.
The Hutton inquiry investigated the death of government scientist Dr David Kelly, who questioned intelligence claims about Iraqi WMDs. For the PM's wife to sign a copy of the report for auction to raise party funds is not just appallingly tasteless: the report cost the British taxpayer £2.5 million. Under the current rules, public money is not supposed to be used to fund political parties, but that is effectively what has happened here.
2) Members of the armed services who desert will automatically face life imprisonment under the new Armed Forces Bill--a provision that sends a clear message following several high-profile cases of personnel refusing to serve or return to Iraq.
3) Meanwhile, Ken Barrett, the terrorist who murdered solicitor Pat Finucane in Northern Ireland, has been released after serving less than 3 years for that crime. Barrett was one of the terrorists who shot Mr Finucane 14 times infront of his wife and three children during their Sunday lunch. Barrett was convicted in 2004 with the recommendation that he serve his full 22-year sentence. By transfering to a prison in Northern Ireland, however, he has qualified for early release under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (architect: Mr T Blair).
So in one day, we have learned that the powers-that-be have auctioned a report into the death of a public servant to raise money for an election campaign, ordered mandatory life imprisonment for service personnel who dissent over Iraq and released a terrorist murderer after less than 3 years in jail. Three more nails in the coffin of our democracy.
