Clare Short, in her opening twenty minutes of evidence to the Iraq war-Chilcot Inquiry has brilliantly blown the whistle on the sham of democracy in Britain.
She has attacked briefings against those disagreeing with Government dictats, the lack of scrutiny and debate in the House of Commons and warned that Cabinet is no longer a collective decision making body as should be the case under established constitutional protocols.
"I think the machinery of Government in Britain now is unsafe," she said.
At the specific question of Iraq, one of her first statements is that she felt misled by the then Attorney General over advice on international law and she explictly accused him of having misled the Cabinet.
Leaving aside whatever her political opinions are, one of the things coming across very clearly from Clare Short is that she is "one of us" - an everyday person who speaks her mind and says what she sees. She's coming over very clearly as someone genuinely expressing her own points of view and recollections. She seems totally and utterly genuine. No wonder she couldn't stay part of the current Labour Party set up.
Midday update: Something else very obvious from her evidence is her dislike of Tony Blair. She seems somewhat more sympathetic to Gordon Brown. In a quite sensational moment, she stated that it was let known to the media that she, Robin Cook and Gordon Brown were against war with Iraq.
1pm update: Short also called the role of Attorney General into question and said it is a role that needs review.
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