The Olympics: A Wonderful Time To Hide What We Are Up To: Chapter 3

Now it is time to bury the decision to go to war.

Day by day the media are devoting 90% of their attention to Olym-pictures and stories. Just the time to slip out the stuff that would normally be listed under ‘light blue touch paper and stand well back.’

Try this one.

“The government has vetoed an order by the independent freedom of information watchdog to release the minutes of cabinet meetings held immediately before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

The decision was announced on Tuesday by Dominic Grieve, the attorney general, the only minister to have access to papers of a previous administration, in this case Tony Blair's Labour government.

Grieve said he issued a certificate under the Freedom of Information Act vetoing disclosure after consulting former Labour ministers, his cabinet colleagues, and the leader of the opposition, Ed Miliband.

He described the case as "exceptional" and one where, in his view, the public interest demanded the papers should be kept secret. He says he took into account "serious potential prejudice to the maintenance of effective cabinet government".

The attorney said he also considered the fact that "the issue discussed was exceptionally serious, being a decision to commit British service personnel to an armed conflict situation",(my emphasis) that the issue "remains the focus of both domestic and international interest", and that "Iraq remains very much a live political issue in its own right" with links to the "overall security situation in the Middle East and the perceived link between the terror threat to the UK and military action in Iraq".Guardian Online 31/7/2012

The Reverend Blair, Gods representative on earth - and apparently his chosen holy warrior - is attempting to make a comeback in British politics. It would not do for the lies and deception practiced on the people of the UK to see the light of day right now. What could be better than  a compliant Tory toerag to succumb to pressure from the security services and ensure that Blair’s brazen whoppers remain hidden. And how heartening to see young Milibean supporting the cover up.

Never was it truer to say that they are all in it together.