ME and Ophelia

THE HUTTON REPORT
Full Report (PDF file 2MB) and Summary of conclusions

This excerpt, plus Full Report and Summary of conclusions available at BBC News online:

"BBC chairman Gavyn Davies is to resign following Lord Hutton's report in which he criticised the BBC and cleared the government of embellishing its Iraq weapons dossier.

In his long awaited report into the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly Lord Hutton said the BBC's claim that the government inserted intelligence into its Iraq dossier knowing it was probably wrong was "unfounded".

Lord Hutton also said the BBC's editorial system was "defective" as BBC Today programme correspondent Andrew Gilligan was allowed to broadcast a "very grave allegation" without having his scripts approved.

Prime Minister Tony Blair told the Commons the report showed "the allegation that I or anybody else lied to the House or deliberately misled the country by falsifying intelligence of weapons of mass destruction is itself the real lie".

Former Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell said he hoped the report would produce a more honest media culture."

Update - Thursday, 29 January, 2004: BBC apologises as Dyke quits

Director General Greg Dyke has quit as the BBC's crisis deepens in the wake of Lord Hutton's damning verdict.

"My sole aim has been to defend the BBC's editorial independence and act in the public interest" - Greg Dyke, Ex-BBC director general.

Update - Friday, 20 January, 2004: Gilligan quits BBC over Kelly row

BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan has resigned in the wake of the criticism directed at him in the Hutton report.

"This report casts a chill over all journalism, not just the BBC's" - Andrew Gilligan
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READERS HAVE THEIR SAY
What will be the impact of the Hutton Report?

Note the comments posted to BBC news online, in response to their question: What will be the impact of the Hutton Report?