The Niger connection was a key part of the Government’s case against Iraq, a case based on Saddam Hussein’s illegal possession of lethal weapons. Ministers accept – with obvious reluctance – that the documents may have been forged, but say they had other evidence for Iraq’s nuclear aspirations and the link with Niger. What that evidence is, as the Foreign Affairs Committee reported, is still a mystery. Mr Blair hinted yesterday that the information may date to the Eighties.The Niger accusation emerged from the committee report as a point of singular vulnerability in the Government’s argument. Unlike the charges about Iraq’s weapons (unless they are found), or the dispute between Downing Street and the BBC, the evidence must exist to prove or disprove the veracity of the Government’s account.

If it is shown that Mr Blair cited the Niger argument, knowing it to be discredited, then he misled Parliament, he misled the country and he must draw the only appropriate conclusion, which is resignation.Perhaps, when the Bush administration issued its retraction, it did not appreciate the harm that it could inflict on Mr Blair. But this does not alter the fact that we are witnessing the first big divergence between the White House and Downing Street since Mr Blair defied the UN to take Britain to war in support of his ally. By a quirk of malevolent fate it comes just days before Mr Blair goes to Washington to bask in American adulation. The price of this special relationship looked unacceptably high when our troops followed their US comrades into Iraq It looks even higher now..

Our radio journalism continues to be one of our great distinctive strengths. It goes to the heart of what we [the BBC] are for – it’s the common element that runs through everything we do. It’s also key to our public service on television and online. That’s why there can be no room for compromise on either the quality or integrity of our journalism at any level. For an organisation founded on trust, its strength and independence is the litmus test for our overall health.

I don’t want to spend too much time on this.But let me say this, whatever the background of Alastair Campbell’s attack on the BBC, to criticise the reputation of all BBC journalists by publicly accusing us of lying and bias is not acceptable, and I thank him for stepping back from that position on Monday.This has now dominated the headlines for two weeks, and it is time for both sides to agree to disagree and move on.Spats like these are inevitable in a healthy democracy – government and media have different roles that inevitably bring them into conflict.What the dispute has highlighted is the importance of BBC radio in delivering impartial news. As someone who’s come from TV and worked in TV current affairs, it is no surprise to me that this argument about the BBC’s role has centred on a radio programme – the Today programme, which day after day does what is at the heart of the BBC – giving the audience the information to allow them to make their own judgements.. Let joy be unconfined Prince Charles can marry Camilla. The archbishop says it’s all right, so long as he asks his mum first. His mum still isn’t too happy about it, but apparently cannot resist the sulks of her little Prince. They’ve just had a run-in over pocket money and the poor old Queen can’t take another tantrum Charles, lest we forget, is 55

Let joy be unconfined Prince Charles can marry Camilla.