The BBC's credibility was under growing challenge last night after the corporation confirmed that Dr David Kelly was the principal source for its disputed claim that Downing Street "sexed up" a British government dossier on Iraqi weapons.
Thames Valley police confirmed on Saturday that Dr Kelly, a world- renowned scientist, had committed suicide just three days after persuading the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee he could not have been the principal source for the BBC claim.
The shock waves following Dr Kelly's death triggered the Blair government's gravest crisis, prompting a call from the Labour MP, Ms Glenda Jackson, for the resignations of the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, the Defence Secretary, Mr Geoff Hoon, and Mr Blair's communications director, Mr Alastair Campbell. The "Father" of the House of Commons, Mr Tam Dalyell, also suggested Mr Blair might have to consider his position in light of the conclusions of Lord Hutton's judicial inquiry.
However, as Mr Blair promised he would appear before the inquiry and dismissed a demand by the Conservative leader, Mr Iain Duncan Smith, for the recall of parliament, Dr Kelly's local Conservative MP, Mr Robert Jackson, suggested it was the BBC chairman, Mr Gavyn Davies, and its director-general, Mr Greg Dyke, who should resign.
The BBC's director of news, Mr Richard Sambrook, disclosed that Dr Kelly was the principal source for the Today programme's report. The report said Downing Street had inserted into the weapons dossier, against the wishes of intelligence chiefs, a claim that Iraq had capacity to deploy weapons of mass destruction at 45 minutes' notice. He said the corporation believed it correctly interpreted and reported the information obtained from Dr Kelly.
The journalist at the centre of the row, Mr Andrew Gilligan, also issued a statement insisting he did not misquote or misrepresent Dr Kelly. "Entirely separately from my meeting with him, Dr Kelly expressed very similar concerns about Downing Street's interpretation of intelligence in the dossier and the unreliability of the 45-minute point to [BBC programme\] Newsnight," the statement said.
Explaining the BBC's earlier refusal to bow to government demands to say if Dr Kelly had been its source, Mr Sambrook said the corporation had, until now, owed him a duty of confidentiality.
However, even before the BBC statement, Ms Jackson insisted the BBC could have eased the pressure on Dr Kelly by eliminating him as the source after the MoD adviser had admitted his unauthorised contact with Mr Gilligan.
In a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Jackson said the BBC's refusal to do so "must have preyed on his mind and may have contributed to his death". The MP also suggested that, given Dr Kelly's denial during his testimony to the select committee, the BBC's refusal to eliminate Dr Kelly might be explained by the fact that he was the corporation's only witness.