It is six years ago since the ‘Chilcot enquiry’ into the circumstances surrounding the March 2003 invasion of Iraq was started, and now shamefully over three years since its completion, and despite frequent questions being asked by cross party MP’s in the House of Commons as to how the inordinate delay can be justified it looks no nearer to being released.

It is rumoured that the damming evidence regarding ex PM Tony Blair is being delayed by his ex-cronies until after the May general election so as not to cause damage to the Labour Party. However it could well prove even more damaging for Blair as was mooted last week by Lord Dykes of Harrow Weald, a Liberal Democrat peer, claimed that Blair may face war crimes charges once the report is made public.

Sir John Chilcot, ex-civil servant and Privy Councillor, was engaged to chair the independent enquiry however he has condemned the fact that certain files and access to letter exchanges between Tony Blair and George W Bush had been blocked by Senior Civil servant and Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, with the excuse being given that it could damage relations between Britain and the US.

The lengthy report makes very heavy reading as it endeavours to cover all the years of the Iraq invasion, however it does seem extraordinary if indeed the information is correct that Blair has been given access to the report before anyone else, being that it could prove to be so highly incriminating for him.

It is also derisible that Sir John Chilcot was not given access to all of the information that he required, which says very little for our countries reputation for democratic openness and free speech. It is really scandalous that the results of the enquiry have appeared to have been ‘sat on’ for an extraordinary length of time since its completion. Although perhaps not? As Sir Jeremy is seen as David Cameron’s right-hand man, making sure policies get through, and was Tony Blair’s Principal Private Secretary from 1999 to 2003, therefore could this have possibly something to do with a ‘Number 10’ stating that Prime Minister David Cameron will have the final say as to when the long delayed report into the Iraq war will be published?

Finally surely all citizens of the UK have a right to demand that this overdue report be released as soon as possible, especially as so many of our brave servicemen and women lost their lives in the invasion, and during the occupation years that followed whilst everyone of us was blatantly ‘lied to’ regarding the non-existent ‘weapons of mass destruction’.

G A WOODWARD,