Hoon Laughs During Suicide Grilling

[Nambe]

The Daily Record

EMBATTLED Geoff Hoon laughed as he was tackled about BBC mole Dr David Kelly's suicide yesterday. The Defence Secretary tried to crack a joke under pressure at a chaotic press conference. He had to be bailed out by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. ---

He tried to dodge questions with an appeal to wait for Lord Hutton's inquiry into the affair. He said: "I think it is very important to show respect to our guests and ask questions about their visit here rather than to deal with an inquiry to which I will give evidence."

But a journalist asked: "Who's going to resign over this - you, Alastair Campbell, people at the BBC or all three." Straw tried to deflect the question, saying to a member of Iraq's interim ruling council: "You answer the first question and I'll answer the second."

To laughter, Hoon added: "And I won't answer the third."

Straw butted in: "An inquiry has been established. I have nothing further to add. That will be the answer to any further questions on this."

But he brought the press conference to an end as reporters kept probing.

The trivial joke raised fresh questions over how seriously Hoon was taking the crisis.


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