Attorney General rejects Downing Street interference over war advice
The Attorney General has denied reports that a parliamentary answer he issued on the legal case for the war with Iraq was drafted by Downing Street.
In a statement issued last night, Lord Goldsmith rejected claims that a written parliamentary answer stating the legality of the war had been drafted by the then Home Office minister Lord Falconer and Tony Blair’s director of political relations, Baroness Morgan.
“The written answer of March 17th 2003 was drawn up in my office,” said Lord Goldsmith in a written statement.
The Attorney General confirmed that he had drafted the answer alongside Solicitor General Harriet Harman, two of his own officials, three Foreign Office officials and Christopher Greenwood QC.
Lord Goldsmith said the then Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg had also been consulted on the draft.
“I was fully involved throughout the drafting process and personally finalised, and of course approved, the answer,” the Attorney General said in his statement.
“No other minister or official was involved in any way. In particular, neither Baroness Morgan of Huyton nor Lord Falconer of Thoroton, nor any official in the Prime Minister’s office had any involvement whatever in the drafting of the answer,” he added.
“As I have always made clear, I set out in the answer my own genuinely held, independent view that military action was lawful under the existing security council resolutions. The answer did not purport to be a summary of my confidential legal advice to government.”
Lord Goldsmith has issued the statement amid mounting pressure from the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, who want the publication of the full legal advice given by the Attorney General.
A book published this week by a member of Cherie Blair’s Matrix Chambers, says Lord Goldsmith warned the Prime Minister on March 7 2003 that war with Iraq could be illegal without first securing a second UN resolution sanctioning military action.
Philippe Sands QC claims that the subsequent parliamentary answer issued by the Attorney General confirming the legality of the war was drafted by Downing Street shortly before the key vote to sanction military action in the Commons.
The Independent reports that Lord Goldsmith has insisted that a transcript of his evidence given to the Butler inquiry, which suggests that Number 10 drafted the statement, is wrong.
