War advice was ‘coloured’ claims Cook
The Attorney General appears to have allowed pressure from Downing Street to “colour” his legal advice on war with Iraq, former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has claimed.
Lord Goldsmith met Baroness Morgan, the head of Tony Blair’s political team and the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer at Number Ten, before producing his final advice on the legality of invading Iraq.
Mr Cook, who resigned from the Cabinet in protest at the war told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There were what looks like to the outsider very much like a process of negotiation between the ladies in Downing Street and the Attorney General as to his opinion.”
“I think it is very important that we restore the difference and make sure there is that detachment of the Attorney General to give independent advice not coloured by political considerations,” he added.
Mr Cook said that future Attorney Generals should keep their distance from government representatives when asked for advice on “grave” matters in order to avoid suspicion “that there was a process of negotiation exchanged in which the political imperative coloured legal advice.”
His comments come following reports in The Independent that Lord Goldsmith is facing a damaging inquiry by the barristers’ ruling body following claims that Britain went to war on the basis of one A4 page of legal advice.
MPs have asked the Bar Council to investigate after Cabinet Secretary Sir Andrew Turnbull admitted that a parliamentary answer provided by the Attorney General was the “definitive advice that had been reached” over the legality of taking military action against Iraq.
The Independent claims that the inquiry could prove damaging to Tony Blair as it will examine what instructions the Prime Minister gave Lord Goldsmith when he asked him to provide his opinion on the legality of war without a second UN resolution.
