Sketchup: Iraq inquiry
A selection of lines from parliamentary sketch-writers.
There was a first at the Iraq inquiry when Elizabeth Wilmshurst, a former foreign office lawyer, received a spontaneous round of applause from the public gallery.
it as the "most electrifying moment" of the whole inquiry so far:
"It reminded me of when Tony Blair left the Commons and MPs surprised themselves with a standing ovation. The irony of that will not be lost on Ms Wilmshurst - or the public here."
Ms Wilmshurst to a "lioness" during the session:
"It was like being torn apart by a cross between Judi Dench as 'M' and Princess Diana - softly spoken, but as hard and inflexible as a crowbar."
Ms Wilmshurst's defence of her decision to resign in protest against a war that she thought was unlawful:
"In civilian terms, there was something heroic about that, something most unusually admirable."
Over at Portcullis House, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King was giving evidence to the Treasury Select Committee. On a day when Britain was declared to be out of recession, the an upbeat affair but was left disappointed:
"Governor King is not one of life's cartwheelers. Thigh-slapping is not his forte. Optimism is not his default setting."
Links in full
