Of course he was acting on his own! Who would think otherwise?
The attorney general mounted a robust defence yesterday of his advice to newspapers that they risked breaching the Official Secrets Act if they published details from a confidential memo reportedly detailing a conversation between George Bush and Tony Blair.
Lord Goldsmith insisted he was acting on his own initiative and was not attempting to gag newspapers but merely pointing out the legal position. His warning was sent out after the Daily Mirror said a memo recorded a threat by the US president to take “military action” against the Arabic TV station al-Jazeera. The prime minister replied that that would cause a big problem, according to the Mirror.
David Keogh, a former Cabinet Office official, and Leo O’Connor, a researcher, are to appear before Bow Street magistrates next week on charges under the Official Secrets Act.
