Britain: Beleaguered British Defence Secretary Mr Geoff Hoon faced fresh calls for his resignation last night after reportedly suggesting that Dr David Kelly probably killed himself fearing exposure as a liar.
In comments to "friends" Mr Hoon also allegedly insisted that the former government weapons expert was "no martyr"; described the Kelly family's lawyers as "diabolical" and "grandstanding" in search of "headlines"; expressed his anger at the effect of the Kelly affair on morale within his ministry; and signalled that he expects to "take the flak" after next week's publication of the Hutton report while the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, will "escape a mauling".
While confirming this was not some pre-emptive strategy approved by them, Downing Street sources attempted to cast doubt on whether Mr Hoon had actually said what was reported in a front-page story in yesterday's Sunday Times.
However the Sunday Telegraph also carried the story, together with the information that the Ministry of Defence had declined several requests on Saturday night to discuss the claims.
Mr Hoon had not issued a denial by mid-morning yesterday when the Conservative defence spokesman, Mr Nicholas Soames, accused him of "bullying", and said he should "consider his position".
A denial in any event would hardly have been convincing since, as the Sunday Times report observed, Mr Hoon's alleged opinions about Dr Kelly are known to be widely shared by ministers and senior officials in Whitehall.
It has become clear in recent days that government insiders are increasingly optimistic that Lord Hutton will clear Mr Blair in respect of the so-called "naming strategy" by which Dr Kelly was identified as the suspected source for the BBC's claim that Number 10 "sexed up" the government's Iraq weapons dossier against the advice of the intelligence services.
The government's defence to the Hutton Inquiry was that this was not a strategy to "leak" Dr Kelly's name but a necessary precaution to deal with the likelihood that his name would come out in any event, and to protect the government against any alleged "cover-up".
The hope in Whitehall is also that any criticism of the government's failure to discharge a "duty of care" to Dr Kelly will be offset by criticisms of Dr Kelly for briefing to journalists against his government.
The embarrassment for 10 Downing Street and the government is that Mr Hoon's reported comments contradict Mr Blair's assertion - in face of repeated questioning over two weeks by the Conservative leader, Mr Michael Howard - that he and his ministers would not pre-empt Lord Hutton's report on the circumstances surrounding Dr Kelly's presumed suicide last July.
The risk is that this episode will revive the earlier row over alleged government attempts to smear Dr Kelly, most spectacularly when Mr Blair's official spokesman, Mr Tom Kelly, had to apologise for describing him as "a Walter Mitty character".
The government's embarrassment was laid bare yesterday when the leader of the House of Commons, Mr Peter Hain, condemned Mr Howard's "distasteful" attacks on Mr Blair's integrity ahead of the Hutton report, and suggested that the Tory leader was an "unfit candidate" for the premiership.
Speaking on Sky News' Sunday with Adam Boutlon programme, Mr Hain said: "Throughout this procedure we have been very, very careful not to try and second guess Lord Hutton's report which is precisely what Michael Howard has done in the House of Commons in, I think, a very distasteful way."