Tony Blair defends foundation hospitals, war and his record in government
Tony Blair faced pressure over the war in Iraq and the ongoing row surrounding the death of Dr Kelly in his monthly press conference this morning, but attempted to focus on services and the economy.
The Prime Minister deflected much of the attention from the Dr Kelly situation by acknowledging that there are questions to be answered, but stating that the Hutton Inquiry must be allowed to run its course. He also played down the row with the BBC by claiming that the Government only sought to deal with ‘an incorrect story’.
Public concern over the war in Iraq was harder to deflect. Mr Blair faced questions on the case for war, and he spoke about the importance of showing the public that it was right to go to war by finding evidence of weapons of mass destruction.
He reiterated the fact that the case for war had been made on Iraq’s lack of co-operation over chemical, biological or nuclear weapons and further argued that it was widely known that Saddam Hussein had long been involved in the acquisition of such capabilities.
Continuing the justification for war Mr Blair commented on the mass graves discovered in Iraq since the invasion, and asked that the Iraqi Survey Group be given time to find evidence before concluding that there is none.
He also responded to questions over whether Saddam Hussein is dead by saying that the important thing is that he is no longer in power, and that the people of Iraq are pleased that he is gone.
The Prime Minister did get the chance to use the press conference to defend the Government’s record in office, stating that whatever the latest news story may be, the public would make their judgement on domestic issues such as healthcare and the economy.
The press conference heard the case for reform, and Tony Blair rejected any suggestion that he had been distracted from dealing with public serves, saying that he had still spent more time on issues such as health and education.
Highlighting the ongoing success of the UK economy, which unlike many countries has avoided recession in the world downturn, he put his weight behind Foundation hospitals and identity cards.
The Foundation hospitals programme is to be expanded, as the Government believes this to be a good way to devolve power to frontline services. However, opponents argue that it is a step towards a two-tier health service.
Identity cards have been proposed as a tool for combating crime and illegal immigration by making it harder for people to work illegally or commit identity fraud. Mr Blair acknowledged that their introduction will involve serious logistical difficulties, but claimed that the Government is looking at how these can be resolved.
