Blair to escape judgment by Butler

The key figures in the runup to the Iraq war, headed by Tony Blair, will escape judgment in the Butler inquiry, it was confirmed today.

Former cabinet secretary Lord Butler announced yesterday that his inquiry into intelligence failings will, as expected, be held in private.

But he also made clear his investigation will focus on "structures, systems and processes rather than on the actions of individuals".

Critics said the announcement confirmed Lord Butler's report, due out in July, will be a whitewash. The Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, Sir Menzies Campbell, called the decision "entirely predictable". He said it proved his party's decision to boycott the inquiry had been right.

The inquiry panel, which includes a senior Labour and a senior Tory MP, will begin hearing evidence in April.

It was widely expected the hearings would be mainly in private since they would deal with sensitive intelligence material.

But the inquiry said yesterday that to hold less sensitive hearings in public had been ruled out because to do so might give a " partial or distorted" impression.

Meanwhile, the Government, it emerged today, is sending two ministers to Washington amid complaints British firms are failing to win contracts for reconstruction work in Iraq.

Mr Blair's special representative on overseas trade, Brian Wilson, and international trade minister Mike O'Brien, will meet US officials next week in a bid for a larger stake in a new round of contracts to be awarded next month.

In a document leaked in The Guardian today, Mr O'Brien makes clear the fears that if British firms are frozen out there would be embarrassment for the Government.