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An Inconvenient Death: How the Establishment Covered Up the David Kelly Affair
The death of Dr David Kelly in 2003 is one of the strangest events in recent British history. This scrupulous scientist, an expert on weapons of mass destruction, was caught up in the rush to war in Iraq. He felt under pressure from those around Tony Blair to provide evidence that Saddam Hussein was producing weapons of mass destruction. Kelly seemed to have tipped into sudden depression when he was outed as a source for Andrew Gilligan.But the circumstances of his death are replete with disquieting questions – every detail, from his motives to the method of his death, his body’s discovery and the way in which the state investigated his demise, seems on close examination not to make sense. There was never a full coroner’s inquest into his death, which would have allowed medical and other evidence to be carefully interrogated. In this painstaking and meticulous book, Miles Goslett shows why we should be deeply sceptical of the official narrative and reminds us of the desperate measures those in power resorted to in that feverish summer of 2003.
368 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2019
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October 9, 2018
In 2003 I was working as a researcher on the now defunct Jonathan Dimbleby Programme, produced by Granada and broadcast on ITV on Sunday, the programme was a Question Time type format (indeed, Question Time was hosted by Jonathan’s brother David) with a panel of political figures taking questions from a live audience. 2003 was an eventful year, the war in Afghanistan still ongoing after the US invasion of 2001 and the drumbeats of a new war on the horizon, with the administration of George W Bush set on a controversial invasion of Iraq. In July of that year, Dr David Kelly died, setting the scene for the Hutton Inquiry and all the fall out that came after, an event that was the focus of many an edition of the Jonathan Dimbleby Programme.
One thing I well remember is the drama of waiting outside the Royal Courts of Justice on 28th January 2004 for the Hutton Inquiry report to be officially published, collecting multiple copies for the office and carrying them back, the team then proceeding to pour over the 750-page volume. So, perhaps then I can be forgiven for being fascinated with the case ever since.
Others are equally fascinated, for Miles Goslett’s An Inconvenient Death is in fact the third book to be published on the death of Dr David Kelly. The first, titled The Strange Death of David Kelly, was written by then-Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, and hit the bookshelves in 2007. The second, Dark Actors by the novelist Robert Lewis, was published in 2013. Finally, there’s An Inconvenient Death by Miles Goslett, a respected journalist who’s written for the Evening Standard, Sunday Telegraph and Mail on Sunday.
Apart from their subject, all these titles share one overarching theme: a scepticism of the official narrative. Indeed, as yet, there is no book published that supports that narrative. Of course, critics might explain this by arguing that conspiracy theories sell, which might well be true. One can fill bookcases with tomes suggesting JFK was killed by the CIA, the Cubans, the Russians, the mafia; just a shelf with those that lay the blame at the door of a lone, deranged gunman. But while this point has some justification, it also reflects something wider: a widespread concern in both cases that the official story just doesn’t stand up.
Dr David Kelly was a scientist and leading authority on biological warfare. He had been a weapons inspector in Russia and Iraq (indeed, the book Dark Actors by Robert Lewis goes into some depth on his work as a weapons inspector) and was due to return to Iraq with an inspection team. Most recently, he had been advising on the dossier being drawn up by the Joint Intelligence Committee regarding the threat of Iraq’s WMD programme and it was this work that was to seal his fate.
Kelly regularly met with journalists and he briefed the journalist Andrew Gilligan on the dossier. Gilligan, in a radio broadcast for the BBC Today Programme, went onto claim that a source had said that Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s spin doctor, had “sexed up” the dossier. Campbell took this badly and in the ensuing protracted showdown between the government and the BBC, Kelly was outed as Gilligan’s source. Interestingly, Dr Kelly always denied being Gilligan’s source, something which Goslett examines and gives credence to. I have to admit to having never seriously considered the prospect that Gilligan might have had a second, more authoritative source, and the author makes a good case that this might in fact have been so
In the following weeks, Kelly’s home was besieged by journalists, he was compelled to give evidence before two select committees - one of which was televised - and if one believes the official narrative, finding the pressure too much to bear, coupled with a belief that he would never again be allowed to continue work as a weapons inspector, he made his way to nearby Harrowdown Hill, where he took an overdose of Co-Proxamol tablets and slashed the ulnar artery of his left wrist.
Goslett’s book outlines all this in fair detail before going onto discuss the problems with this story. First and foremost, he takes issue with the Hutton Inquiry itself, which stopped an inquest from ever being held into Kelly’s death. Inquests in UK law are supremely independent bodies with the power to summon witnesses and have them give evidence on oath, conversely the Hutton Inquiry was entirely voluntary, with no actual legal powers. I have to confess to not having realised that at the time, so this was a revelation. Goslett implies that this was why the inquiry was set up in the first place, to ensure a less than adequate examination of Kelly’s death.
Goslett also discusses all the inconsistencies with the evidence, the fact that many medical experts’ query whether slashing the ulnar artery would be sufficient to bleed to death (it’s very thin, like a fine thread, and might well clot) and whether he had enough Co-Proxamol in his system to cause a fatal overdose. Combined with the evidence that he had difficulty swallowing pills and that due to an arm injury he had such weakness in the right arm that he found it difficult to cut a steak, let alone cut through the flesh, muscle and tendons of his left wrist (Kelly was right handed), it is not difficult to understand why Goslett and others have doubts.
A book review doesn’t give one enough space to go through all the evidence that Goslett marshals to support his case, for that one needs to read the book, but needless to say there is much more. But does it all mean that Kelly did not in fact take his own life? And if not, how did he come to die? Frustratingly, the author does not reveal his beliefs on the matter, preferring to argue that there is a need now for a proper inquest to discover the truth. This feels unsatisfactory in the extreme. Bearing in mind that most people who read this title will have followed the case to a greater or lesser extent, will have an opinion either way, the least Goslett can do is put his forward.
While his arguments for the need for an inquest are sound (would it not put the matter to rest, at least? Surely, regardless of whether one believes Kelly committed suicide, all can agree the Hutton Report was flawed) I personally feel he overstates his argument that the Hutton Inquiry was an effective means of silencing the matter. For surely coroners and inquests can be got at? The Hutton Inquiry became an international televisual spectacle, something that came to define Blair’s legacy, and it was obvious this was going to be the case at the time. Would it not have been easier to have the inquest and try and fix the result, perhaps by influencing what witnesses would say? That said, as he points out, Blair ordered the inquiry the very night Kelly’s body was discovered, and the Hutton Inquiry - both its commission and process - were curious to say the least.
For the record, I’m personally in two minds as to whether Dr David Kelly committed suicide or was murdered, and if the latter, by who. I do agree with the author that there should be an inquest and that the Hutton Inquiry was a whitewash, but equally I am both doubtful that this will ever come to pass or that we will ever definitively have the truth, not least due to the fact that Lord Hutton ordered much of the evidence - including Dr Kelly’s post-mortem report - be sealed for seventy years.
One thing I well remember is the drama of waiting outside the Royal Courts of Justice on 28th January 2004 for the Hutton Inquiry report to be officially published, collecting multiple copies for the office and carrying them back, the team then proceeding to pour over the 750-page volume. So, perhaps then I can be forgiven for being fascinated with the case ever since.
Others are equally fascinated, for Miles Goslett’s An Inconvenient Death is in fact the third book to be published on the death of Dr David Kelly. The first, titled The Strange Death of David Kelly, was written by then-Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, and hit the bookshelves in 2007. The second, Dark Actors by the novelist Robert Lewis, was published in 2013. Finally, there’s An Inconvenient Death by Miles Goslett, a respected journalist who’s written for the Evening Standard, Sunday Telegraph and Mail on Sunday.
Apart from their subject, all these titles share one overarching theme: a scepticism of the official narrative. Indeed, as yet, there is no book published that supports that narrative. Of course, critics might explain this by arguing that conspiracy theories sell, which might well be true. One can fill bookcases with tomes suggesting JFK was killed by the CIA, the Cubans, the Russians, the mafia; just a shelf with those that lay the blame at the door of a lone, deranged gunman. But while this point has some justification, it also reflects something wider: a widespread concern in both cases that the official story just doesn’t stand up.
Dr David Kelly was a scientist and leading authority on biological warfare. He had been a weapons inspector in Russia and Iraq (indeed, the book Dark Actors by Robert Lewis goes into some depth on his work as a weapons inspector) and was due to return to Iraq with an inspection team. Most recently, he had been advising on the dossier being drawn up by the Joint Intelligence Committee regarding the threat of Iraq’s WMD programme and it was this work that was to seal his fate.
Kelly regularly met with journalists and he briefed the journalist Andrew Gilligan on the dossier. Gilligan, in a radio broadcast for the BBC Today Programme, went onto claim that a source had said that Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s spin doctor, had “sexed up” the dossier. Campbell took this badly and in the ensuing protracted showdown between the government and the BBC, Kelly was outed as Gilligan’s source. Interestingly, Dr Kelly always denied being Gilligan’s source, something which Goslett examines and gives credence to. I have to admit to having never seriously considered the prospect that Gilligan might have had a second, more authoritative source, and the author makes a good case that this might in fact have been so
In the following weeks, Kelly’s home was besieged by journalists, he was compelled to give evidence before two select committees - one of which was televised - and if one believes the official narrative, finding the pressure too much to bear, coupled with a belief that he would never again be allowed to continue work as a weapons inspector, he made his way to nearby Harrowdown Hill, where he took an overdose of Co-Proxamol tablets and slashed the ulnar artery of his left wrist.
Goslett’s book outlines all this in fair detail before going onto discuss the problems with this story. First and foremost, he takes issue with the Hutton Inquiry itself, which stopped an inquest from ever being held into Kelly’s death. Inquests in UK law are supremely independent bodies with the power to summon witnesses and have them give evidence on oath, conversely the Hutton Inquiry was entirely voluntary, with no actual legal powers. I have to confess to not having realised that at the time, so this was a revelation. Goslett implies that this was why the inquiry was set up in the first place, to ensure a less than adequate examination of Kelly’s death.
Goslett also discusses all the inconsistencies with the evidence, the fact that many medical experts’ query whether slashing the ulnar artery would be sufficient to bleed to death (it’s very thin, like a fine thread, and might well clot) and whether he had enough Co-Proxamol in his system to cause a fatal overdose. Combined with the evidence that he had difficulty swallowing pills and that due to an arm injury he had such weakness in the right arm that he found it difficult to cut a steak, let alone cut through the flesh, muscle and tendons of his left wrist (Kelly was right handed), it is not difficult to understand why Goslett and others have doubts.
A book review doesn’t give one enough space to go through all the evidence that Goslett marshals to support his case, for that one needs to read the book, but needless to say there is much more. But does it all mean that Kelly did not in fact take his own life? And if not, how did he come to die? Frustratingly, the author does not reveal his beliefs on the matter, preferring to argue that there is a need now for a proper inquest to discover the truth. This feels unsatisfactory in the extreme. Bearing in mind that most people who read this title will have followed the case to a greater or lesser extent, will have an opinion either way, the least Goslett can do is put his forward.
While his arguments for the need for an inquest are sound (would it not put the matter to rest, at least? Surely, regardless of whether one believes Kelly committed suicide, all can agree the Hutton Report was flawed) I personally feel he overstates his argument that the Hutton Inquiry was an effective means of silencing the matter. For surely coroners and inquests can be got at? The Hutton Inquiry became an international televisual spectacle, something that came to define Blair’s legacy, and it was obvious this was going to be the case at the time. Would it not have been easier to have the inquest and try and fix the result, perhaps by influencing what witnesses would say? That said, as he points out, Blair ordered the inquiry the very night Kelly’s body was discovered, and the Hutton Inquiry - both its commission and process - were curious to say the least.
For the record, I’m personally in two minds as to whether Dr David Kelly committed suicide or was murdered, and if the latter, by who. I do agree with the author that there should be an inquest and that the Hutton Inquiry was a whitewash, but equally I am both doubtful that this will ever come to pass or that we will ever definitively have the truth, not least due to the fact that Lord Hutton ordered much of the evidence - including Dr Kelly’s post-mortem report - be sealed for seventy years.
May 20, 2018
This is an excellent analysis of the many inconsistencies surrounding the death of Dr Kelly. The author stays on the right side of the line between investigative journalism and conspiracy theory, by simply laying out facts as we know them, rather than indulging in wild flights of fancy. This is not a straightforward story, but Goslett's clear, journalistic style is the best way to tell it. The fact is, we don't know what happened to Kelly, which is why there needed to be a proper inquest, rather than relying on the findings of the toothless Hutton Inquiry. It is this point the book makes, and it does it clearly and forensically. Great stuff.
July 14, 2021
A starting insight into the Hutton enquiry at the beginning of England’s invasion of Iraq and the death of Dr David Kelly; the man who stated that Iraq did not hold weapons of mass destruction.
This did get a bit repetitive which is the only reason this has been marked down. Asides from that, this was gripping, very factual and asked a lot more questions than the enquiry seems to have and pokes a hell of a lot of holes in their official account of the man’s demise.
This did get a bit repetitive which is the only reason this has been marked down. Asides from that, this was gripping, very factual and asked a lot more questions than the enquiry seems to have and pokes a hell of a lot of holes in their official account of the man’s demise.
August 16, 2021
I am somewhat conflicted about this book. I believe it is good to question authority and those in power, and that that is a cornerstone of a well-functioning democracy. Goslett is clearly a well-known and respected journalist endeavouring to do this, for which i salute him. In addition, i also agree that even the most sceptical, 'establishment' person would be compelled to agree that, in the tragic case of Dr Kelly, at the very least there is evidence of the government and those in power not acting as they should. As Kelly himself said, there appear to be 'many dark actors playing games' in the whole affair. On the whole, the book is well-written, compelling and intriguing.
That said, there are several elements which i struggled with. Firstly, the fact that Goslett is very much a conservative journalist, judging by his byline, a fact which must mean he was at odds with a Blair government, and an element of subjectivity which is never acknowledged. Secondly, while there were certainly irregularities in official behaviour and procedure throughout the case, i do wonder how many of them are simply cases of incompetence being taken for corruption. I have worked in admin for some years, and struggled to agree with the authors stance on the dental records, for example. Yes, it IS possible that there were darker forces at play here, but equally this could just be a simple administration error. Instances like debates over the position of the body should surely invite some comment about the subjectivity of memory, as does the debate on blood amounts, but in both instances the author is seemingly intent on taking some people at their word while instantly discrediting others, somewhat ironic given his stance on the Hutton inquiry. I take the point that the sheer amount of strange happenings in this one case is unusual and does point towards some or all of the whole truth being obscured, but i do think the author needs to be more objective and perhaps give some page time on speculation that at least some of theodd elements of this case could be instances of 'everyday events happening in a less-than-everyday manner'.
Throughout the book i felt a great sympathy for Dr Kelly, his wife and his family. Any sudden death is a terrible tragedy, and one as murky and contraversial as this must have cast a long shadow in their lives, no doubt exacerbated by endless journalists and no small amount of conspiracy theorists darkening their doorstep. I do agree with Goslett that a more stringent and objective inquiry into Dr Kellys death would hopefully draw a line under the whole affair, and that there are definitely strange questions that need answers and some poweful players who need to account for their behaviour. However, i do wonder whether some or all those answers might be slightly more mundane than many people think, and whether any 'cover up' was merely obscuring incompetencies, foul ups and mistakes, rather than an altogether darker agenda.
That said, there are several elements which i struggled with. Firstly, the fact that Goslett is very much a conservative journalist, judging by his byline, a fact which must mean he was at odds with a Blair government, and an element of subjectivity which is never acknowledged. Secondly, while there were certainly irregularities in official behaviour and procedure throughout the case, i do wonder how many of them are simply cases of incompetence being taken for corruption. I have worked in admin for some years, and struggled to agree with the authors stance on the dental records, for example. Yes, it IS possible that there were darker forces at play here, but equally this could just be a simple administration error. Instances like debates over the position of the body should surely invite some comment about the subjectivity of memory, as does the debate on blood amounts, but in both instances the author is seemingly intent on taking some people at their word while instantly discrediting others, somewhat ironic given his stance on the Hutton inquiry. I take the point that the sheer amount of strange happenings in this one case is unusual and does point towards some or all of the whole truth being obscured, but i do think the author needs to be more objective and perhaps give some page time on speculation that at least some of theodd elements of this case could be instances of 'everyday events happening in a less-than-everyday manner'.
Throughout the book i felt a great sympathy for Dr Kelly, his wife and his family. Any sudden death is a terrible tragedy, and one as murky and contraversial as this must have cast a long shadow in their lives, no doubt exacerbated by endless journalists and no small amount of conspiracy theorists darkening their doorstep. I do agree with Goslett that a more stringent and objective inquiry into Dr Kellys death would hopefully draw a line under the whole affair, and that there are definitely strange questions that need answers and some poweful players who need to account for their behaviour. However, i do wonder whether some or all those answers might be slightly more mundane than many people think, and whether any 'cover up' was merely obscuring incompetencies, foul ups and mistakes, rather than an altogether darker agenda.
February 16, 2019
Having followed this case in the papers since Dr Kelly's death, I found this absolutely riveting, and had to pick it up every time I sat down.
The book asks a lot more questions than it answers, but asks the questions every thinking person knows need to be answered.
Tony Blair's government, and Mr Blair himself, has a lot to answer about the indecent speed in which the Hutton public inquiry was set up, with none of the main players having any coronial experience whatever, and the complete lack of a (necessary by law) full inquest into the death.
I've never believed Dr Kelly's death was as portrayed by the government, and this book puts more questions in my head, with complete clarity - not least of all is why Dr Kelly's remains were exhumed in 2017 and all traces of the grave removed.
I have to say, Mrs Kelly - to me - doesn't come out of this book well. According to the account given, she used avoidance tactics to questions at every turn, and I felt this right from the start of the book. However, I strongly suspect government manipulation was at play, dictating her responses which had no substance to them.
Recommend if you have followed the papers.
The book asks a lot more questions than it answers, but asks the questions every thinking person knows need to be answered.
Tony Blair's government, and Mr Blair himself, has a lot to answer about the indecent speed in which the Hutton public inquiry was set up, with none of the main players having any coronial experience whatever, and the complete lack of a (necessary by law) full inquest into the death.
I've never believed Dr Kelly's death was as portrayed by the government, and this book puts more questions in my head, with complete clarity - not least of all is why Dr Kelly's remains were exhumed in 2017 and all traces of the grave removed.
I have to say, Mrs Kelly - to me - doesn't come out of this book well. According to the account given, she used avoidance tactics to questions at every turn, and I felt this right from the start of the book. However, I strongly suspect government manipulation was at play, dictating her responses which had no substance to them.
Recommend if you have followed the papers.
April 30, 2019
Thought Provoking
This is a thorough and convincing account of the death and the subsequent treatment of the death of Dr David Kelly. The rush on the part of Blair and the interested parties in his government to set up an Inquiry which bypassed the established and indeed normally legal means of examining deaths has always been suspicious and after 16 years remains so. The author goes through the whole case coolly and objectively and scrutinises all the unanswered questions that the Hutton Inquiry neglected to examine in the haste to cover up the circumstances of Dr Kelly’s death. For my part, I remain suspicious of the whole case which the government tried to make.
This is a thorough and convincing account of the death and the subsequent treatment of the death of Dr David Kelly. The rush on the part of Blair and the interested parties in his government to set up an Inquiry which bypassed the established and indeed normally legal means of examining deaths has always been suspicious and after 16 years remains so. The author goes through the whole case coolly and objectively and scrutinises all the unanswered questions that the Hutton Inquiry neglected to examine in the haste to cover up the circumstances of Dr Kelly’s death. For my part, I remain suspicious of the whole case which the government tried to make.
November 2, 2018
An outstanding and disturbing story.
The Dr. Kelly affair stinks to high heaven and will forever be a stain on Tony Blair's legacy. If there is nothing to hide why can't they just come clean? The British establishment has a lot to answer for over this stain on our democracy and legal system. Well done Miles Goslett for keeping this story in the public domain.
The Dr. Kelly affair stinks to high heaven and will forever be a stain on Tony Blair's legacy. If there is nothing to hide why can't they just come clean? The British establishment has a lot to answer for over this stain on our democracy and legal system. Well done Miles Goslett for keeping this story in the public domain.
August 24, 2018
Miles Goslett has written a meticulously well researched book about the very sad demise of David Kelly the quietly spoken and well-respected weapons inspector who was part of the team looking for weapons of mass destruction at the lead up to the Iraq war. The book begins by reminding us of the events prior to David Kelly’s death including the interview on the BBC Today programme by Andrew Gilligan where he claimed that a source had told him that the government’s case for war had been ’sexed up’. There was then the role of senior politicians and advisors including, Tony Blair, Alistair Campbell and Geoff Hoon and the BBC itself who were involved in the outing of David Kelly as the source. Goslett reminds us of the immense pressure Dr Kelly was under as he was required to give evidence in public to the Foreign Affairs Select committee including the robust questioning by one member of the committee who suggested he was “chaff”.
Following the death of Dr Kelly at Harrowdown Hill Goslett goes onto describe how Tony Blair and Lord Falconer hastily announced the setting up of the Hutton inquiry even before the body had been formerly identified and a cause of death established. Goslett explains how the Hutton inquiry with no formal powers to compel witnesses to appear or to give evidence on oath took precedence over the statutory coroner’s inquest which has those powers. Goslett forensically examines the evidence given at the Hutton inquiry and describes in detail the catalogue of inconsistencies which were not challenged.
At the end of the book I was left with the impression that Hutton was a very poor inquiry into the death of Dr Kelly and no substitute for a coroner’s inquest. Hutton concluded that Dr Kelly committed suicide. (The book by the way reminds us that David Kelly’s own mother committed suicide when he was 20 years old studying at Leeds university). I myself am very sad for the Kelly family and I now wonder if a coroner’s inquest would have come to the same conclusion as Lord Hutton.
Following the death of Dr Kelly at Harrowdown Hill Goslett goes onto describe how Tony Blair and Lord Falconer hastily announced the setting up of the Hutton inquiry even before the body had been formerly identified and a cause of death established. Goslett explains how the Hutton inquiry with no formal powers to compel witnesses to appear or to give evidence on oath took precedence over the statutory coroner’s inquest which has those powers. Goslett forensically examines the evidence given at the Hutton inquiry and describes in detail the catalogue of inconsistencies which were not challenged.
At the end of the book I was left with the impression that Hutton was a very poor inquiry into the death of Dr Kelly and no substitute for a coroner’s inquest. Hutton concluded that Dr Kelly committed suicide. (The book by the way reminds us that David Kelly’s own mother committed suicide when he was 20 years old studying at Leeds university). I myself am very sad for the Kelly family and I now wonder if a coroner’s inquest would have come to the same conclusion as Lord Hutton.
January 28, 2019
This is a meticulously researched book in which the author explains in minute detail the events leading up to Dr Kelly's suspicious death. It examines conflicting accounts of those who attend the scene while Kelly's body was in situ. It moves on to detail Kelly's last movements during the days leading up to his suicide/assassination. Perhaps most interesting was the Hutton Inquiry being put under the microscope and highlights many inconsistencies at the hearing and what seems to be a determined cover up of the truth. The government narrative had seemingly already been decided and all the evidence given was conveniently manipulated to suit that narrative.
The book certainly raises more questions than answers and leaves one thinking there is more to this case other than a simple suicide. It just reaffirms my belief that foul play occurred and Kelly was assassinated by security intelligence and clumsily made it look like suicide.
A very informative read for those who were never satisfied by the conclusion of the Hutton. Read it for an in depth look into all the circumstances and form your own conclusion.
The book certainly raises more questions than answers and leaves one thinking there is more to this case other than a simple suicide. It just reaffirms my belief that foul play occurred and Kelly was assassinated by security intelligence and clumsily made it look like suicide.
A very informative read for those who were never satisfied by the conclusion of the Hutton. Read it for an in depth look into all the circumstances and form your own conclusion.
January 27, 2019
The death of Dr David Kelly was well publicised in the media in 2003. Tony blair was Prime Minister and was urgently providing evidence that Saddam Hussein was producing weapons of mass destruction that carried a major threat
Dr. Michael Kelly, an expert on weapons of mass destruction was under pressure to provide this evidence.
On 22nd May 2003 Dr Kelly met with Andrew Gilligan, the defence correspondent of BBC 4's - Today programme and shortly after that Dr Kelly was outed as a source for Andrew Gilligan.
On the 17th July 2003, Dr Kelly left his home to go for his usual walk and did not return home. His body was found and a verdict of suicide given, but was it suicide ?
This book is an analysis of the many inconsistencies surrounding his death and there appear to be many.
This is a compelling book to read and it raises more questions than answers. I would highly recommend this well written book.
Dr. Michael Kelly, an expert on weapons of mass destruction was under pressure to provide this evidence.
On 22nd May 2003 Dr Kelly met with Andrew Gilligan, the defence correspondent of BBC 4's - Today programme and shortly after that Dr Kelly was outed as a source for Andrew Gilligan.
On the 17th July 2003, Dr Kelly left his home to go for his usual walk and did not return home. His body was found and a verdict of suicide given, but was it suicide ?
This book is an analysis of the many inconsistencies surrounding his death and there appear to be many.
This is a compelling book to read and it raises more questions than answers. I would highly recommend this well written book.
March 1, 2019
Mountains out of mole hills
It is an interesting account of events surrounding the WMD argument in the Iraq war and the suicide of Dr Kelly who was outed on TV as having lied to his MoD bosses about contact with another journalist other than Gilligan after promising them it wasn’t true just the day before. As usual Gilligan gets the journalist’s free pass despite him setting up Kelly and effectively destroying his life. Much of the book revolves around and keeps repeating ‘odd’ things about the case such as his dentist thinking for a day or so his medical records had been stolen. As to why somebody would want to steal them there is no answer. The media storm over the issue was primarily from the Right and seen as an ideal opportunity to bash Blair, Campbell and Labour. This book merely repeats the Daily Mail version of possible events in a rather dull and repetitive way.
It is an interesting account of events surrounding the WMD argument in the Iraq war and the suicide of Dr Kelly who was outed on TV as having lied to his MoD bosses about contact with another journalist other than Gilligan after promising them it wasn’t true just the day before. As usual Gilligan gets the journalist’s free pass despite him setting up Kelly and effectively destroying his life. Much of the book revolves around and keeps repeating ‘odd’ things about the case such as his dentist thinking for a day or so his medical records had been stolen. As to why somebody would want to steal them there is no answer. The media storm over the issue was primarily from the Right and seen as an ideal opportunity to bash Blair, Campbell and Labour. This book merely repeats the Daily Mail version of possible events in a rather dull and repetitive way.
May 8, 2019
Excellent. A sobre, thorough examination of the events leading up to Kelly's death and the subsequent inquiry that followed it.
It raises far more questions than it answers. In a sense, that's to its author's credit. He refuses to advance conspiracy theories, but instead points out the (often glaring) inconsistencies in key witness statements and the curious decisions not to call witnesses to the Hutton Inquiry that would counter the prevailing suicide narrative and verdict. His call for a proper inquest into Kelly's death seems entirely reasonable given the evidence presented here that the Hutton Inquiry simply did not do a good enough job.
As far as its literary merits are concerned, I've got no complaints here. For someone like me (interested but not especially well-informed), the book is clear, easy to follow and difficult to put down. Recommended.
It raises far more questions than it answers. In a sense, that's to its author's credit. He refuses to advance conspiracy theories, but instead points out the (often glaring) inconsistencies in key witness statements and the curious decisions not to call witnesses to the Hutton Inquiry that would counter the prevailing suicide narrative and verdict. His call for a proper inquest into Kelly's death seems entirely reasonable given the evidence presented here that the Hutton Inquiry simply did not do a good enough job.
As far as its literary merits are concerned, I've got no complaints here. For someone like me (interested but not especially well-informed), the book is clear, easy to follow and difficult to put down. Recommended.
April 20, 2021
Brilliant. I didn't expect to like this book so much. The writer was not a journalist I'd heard of but I discovered that he has written a concise and comprehensive account in a logical and undogmatic style. It's noticeable how few Labour politicians have come forward to support the demands for a full coroner's inquest into the death of David Kelly. Lib Dems and Conservatives have been at the forefront of the campaign, as well as many independent minded and courageous medics and legal people. It's shameful that Blairites in the PLP haven't had the courage to question what their beloved leader and his apparatchiks plotted in July 2003.
I hope this book helps get the coroner's inquest re-started.
I hope this book helps get the coroner's inquest re-started.
October 8, 2019
The Chilcot report concluded that the judgements about the severity of the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were presented with a certainty that was not justified.
Journalist Andrew Gilligan was first to suggest this but refused to divulge his source. The source was identified as Dr David Kelly.
The public will likely never know whether or not David Kelly was the source. And the public will likely never know the exact definitive cause of David Kelly's death.
Whatever the truth and the facts, David Kelly and his family have paid the ultimate price.
Journalist Andrew Gilligan was first to suggest this but refused to divulge his source. The source was identified as Dr David Kelly.
The public will likely never know whether or not David Kelly was the source. And the public will likely never know the exact definitive cause of David Kelly's death.
Whatever the truth and the facts, David Kelly and his family have paid the ultimate price.
January 25, 2025
All power corrupts…
Absolutely riveting read, unputdownable from the first paragraph to the last. From my first heard mention of that name Tony Blair and his acolyte Alistair Campbell I sensed that something was very off about them. This fine read goes a very long way towards bearing that suspicion out. Dr David Kelly was arguably the first casualty of the Iraq war, a war orchestrated by those principal occupants of The White House and 10 Downing Street. They are living proof that all power corrupts. A top drawer read, 6 stars…!
Absolutely riveting read, unputdownable from the first paragraph to the last. From my first heard mention of that name Tony Blair and his acolyte Alistair Campbell I sensed that something was very off about them. This fine read goes a very long way towards bearing that suspicion out. Dr David Kelly was arguably the first casualty of the Iraq war, a war orchestrated by those principal occupants of The White House and 10 Downing Street. They are living proof that all power corrupts. A top drawer read, 6 stars…!
April 23, 2018
Very interesting
As you read this book you ask yourself what were the powers that be ,hiding.A very absorbing story and a mystery that will not be solved until a proper inquest is held.I do not think we shall see that any time soon and the feeling will remain that we were not told the truth about the demise of Dr David Kelly and therefore justice will not have been done.
An interesting well told tale.
a
As you read this book you ask yourself what were the powers that be ,hiding.A very absorbing story and a mystery that will not be solved until a proper inquest is held.I do not think we shall see that any time soon and the feeling will remain that we were not told the truth about the demise of Dr David Kelly and therefore justice will not have been done.
An interesting well told tale.
a
July 21, 2020
I have read this book, and like most people I consider David Kelly’s death
to have been murder and the likes of Blair and Campbell,
(and a number of others) should have been put before the international courts,
on that charge.
There is just one thing that I find wrong about this book and that is its name.
The title should really have been.
A Convenient Death.
Which is what it was.
to have been murder and the likes of Blair and Campbell,
(and a number of others) should have been put before the international courts,
on that charge.
There is just one thing that I find wrong about this book and that is its name.
The title should really have been.
A Convenient Death.
Which is what it was.
September 15, 2018
This book forensically dissects the Hutton Inquiry and it’s inconsistencies in its line of questioning. It fatally pierces a hole below the water line in the inquiry and shows why there has to be a Coroners Inquiry into Dr Kelly’s death to provide real justice for the man himself, regardless of the passage of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2019
Clarification * Verification & an Unbiased Assessment
I can remember the Dr Kelly case and the anger & unease I was left with on the conclusion of the Hutton enquiry.
Why was it felt necessary for Tony Blair to act so swiftly?
What was there to hide.
Having read this book my original conclusions have been confirmed
, they had a lot!!!
One day the truth will out.
I can remember the Dr Kelly case and the anger & unease I was left with on the conclusion of the Hutton enquiry.
Why was it felt necessary for Tony Blair to act so swiftly?
What was there to hide.
Having read this book my original conclusions have been confirmed
, they had a lot!!!
One day the truth will out.
July 16, 2019
Scandal that does not go away
Good to be reminded of the greatest scandal of the Blair years. The death of David Kelly was not easily explained. This book uncovers all the evidence needed to know that as well as highlighting the incredibly lax police and judicial work around his death.
Good to be reminded of the greatest scandal of the Blair years. The death of David Kelly was not easily explained. This book uncovers all the evidence needed to know that as well as highlighting the incredibly lax police and judicial work around his death.
March 25, 2023
What an eye opener! A quality piece of investigative journalism. The author reports the official story along with highlighting all the discrepancies. To find out that Dr Kelly has never been afforded the courtesy of a full coroner's court is astounding. I highly recommend this book as it's an excellent, old fashioned style of true journalism.
October 30, 2018
Quite an interesting read but I wasn't keen on the writing style. The description of events seems made up at times and leans heavily on speculation. I found myself skimming the book at times. I'd recommend this one if you like a good conspiracy theory.
November 5, 2018
A struggle
This was a struggle to finish i read the same arguments over and over again i have no doubt the establishment has covered for many atrocities over the years and the background story here is very suspicious but the book was full of repeated evidence
This was a struggle to finish i read the same arguments over and over again i have no doubt the establishment has covered for many atrocities over the years and the background story here is very suspicious but the book was full of repeated evidence
May 5, 2022
A meticulously researched and in-depth account of the Hutton Inquiry and the events leading up to the death of Dr David Kelly and the questions still left unanswered. I recommend anyone who wishes to know more about this to read An Inconvenient Death.
October 23, 2022
Finished in one day. A factual story known by many. A devastating look at power and at the hollow ring of justice and power are marred in any state or country. You will only find out what the powerful want you to hear unless brave journalists of individuals dig for a wider explanation.
July 27, 2023
I've started and stopped this book like three times over the past few years and finally this year I finished it. Slow start but when you get into it it's worth it. Creeps you out to know the government are such freaks though.
April 28, 2018
Perfidious Albion
This book raises, sky high, the need for an honest in depth and independent inquest into David Kelly's untimely death.
This book raises, sky high, the need for an honest in depth and independent inquest into David Kelly's untimely death.
June 22, 2018
Painstakingly researched + incontrovertible [let down by 'hack-writing]. Why no uproar?
October 12, 2018
Excellent analysis, and horrifying conclusions drawn.
November 9, 2018
What is the truth?
If all this is true why isn't something being done? If everything is how the enquiry said it was why has it been locked for seventy years?
If all this is true why isn't something being done? If everything is how the enquiry said it was why has it been locked for seventy years?
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