Alastair Campbell 'set to escape serious criticism' by Chilcot inquiry

Tony Blair’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell is reportedly set to escape serious criticism by the Chilcot inquiry into the 2003 Iraq war.

Despite Mr Campbell having a role in the creation of the infamous “dodgy dossier”, the flak, it has been claimed, will fall on the former Prime Minister and intelligence officials in the build-up to the invasion of Iraq. The dossier, based on faulty intelligence, claimed that dictator Saddam Hussein had the capabilities to hit British targets in Cyprus in 45 minutes.

Unlike Mr Blair and others, it is reported that Mr Campbell has not received a letter from the Chilcot inquiry outlining where he will be censured. Under the Maxwellisation process, those facing serious criticism from such a report are given a period of time to respond to its conclusions before publication.

According to The Sunday Times, friends of the former spin doctor who worked alongside Mr Blair for 10 years, described the report as “the Campbell whitewash”.

A former minister, who has discussed the findings with members of the inquiry’s panel, added: “Campbell has not had a letter. He is in the clear.

“He was in some ways a bit player in this. Those who were directly responsible were the heads of the agencies who allowed him to ‘sex up’ the ‘dodgy dossier’ and of course the prime minister for whom he was working.

“Press officers are not supposed to be key policymakers, even though they sometimes are.”

Speaking last week, the former Prime Minister hinted he could reject the findings of the Chilcot inquiry if it attempts to dispute his position in the build-up to the Iraq war.

Mr Blair, who said he hasn’t seen a copy of the report, added that he “looks forward” to participating in a debate about its findings. “Make no mistake about that,” Mr Blair said.

“He will come out all guns blazing. But Iraq has affected him a lot. It has made him into a defensive, awkward, self-conscious individual who feels destabilised by it,” a source added to the Sunday Times.

Asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show whether he would accept Chilcot’s report, the former Labour leader responded: “Well, it’s hard to say that when I haven’t seen it. Well, of course, you don’t see the report until it comes out so let’s wait for that point but I think when you go back and look at what was said I don’t think anyone can seriously dispute I was making it clear what my position was.

“By the way, the thing that will be important when it does happen is that we then have then a full debate and I look forward to participating in that. Make no mistake about that. It is really important we do debate these issues because we’ve got huge problems… let’s debate about the what is the right policy to deal with these days.

It comes after an anonymous source last week briefed the Sunday Times and claimed that Mr Blair and other former government officials will be savaged in an “absolutely brutal” verdict on the failings of the occupation. The source added that Mr Blair “won’t be let off the hook” over claims he offered military assistance to the former American President George W Bush, a year before the invasion of Iraq.

Mr Campbell told the Sunday Times: “I said after I gave evidence to Chilcot that I would say nothing about the inquiry until its report was published.