Airstrip One

Remember, Remember the 11th September - 11th September 2003, 22.48

Jo Moore certainly does, since her attempt to issue unpopular announcements, proved to be a bucket of mud for the government's off-white reputation. Now, the report of the Intelligence and Security Committee has shown that Blair ignored the advice of the intelligence agencies, especially their warning that an Iraqi war could lead to Islamic terrorists gaining chemical and biological weapons capability.

Moreover, the Hutton inquiry has already resulted in the government reforming its publicity machine. However, the public would be surprised to learn that the government has rejected the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life to remove the order in council that allowed political appointees to give orders to civil servants.

Instead , the government appointed an "ethics adviser". Since the government has rejected any substantial change in this matter, we can conclude that a cosmetic ringfence has been placed on their current management of 'spin'. For once I agree with the Lib Dems:

"The prime minister's response to the report shows belated recognition of this insidious deterioration, but no commitment to do anything radical about it," said Mr Tyler.

An "ethics adviser" was not required to judge that the use of a terrorist atrocity to conceal a government press announcement was indecent, to say the least. On the anniversary of this atrocity, the government has proved unwilling to make amends.