Competition No 3816
Set by George Cowley, 26 January
"National newspapers that set out to appeal to middle-of-the-road views rarely succeed," wrote Peter Wilby. We asked for just such a paper's editorial.
Report by Ms de Meaner
Hmm. A fair share of hilarious entries that didn't really fulfil the setter's requirements. Here is Ian Birchall's "middle-of-the-road" paper's view on drugs: "It is estimated that 93 per cent of heroin users took cannabis before using heroin. But 100 per cent of heroin addicts had previously used toothpaste." I'd buy that paper any day of the week, just to have a laugh! The winners get £20. John O'Byrne also gets the Tesco vouchers as best of the best.
Lord Hutton has given us, by and large, an even-handed report. The task of judges is, as Lord Denning famously remarked, to "judge". The good lord has done that, even if we do not care for every part of his judgement. The manner in which he conducted proceedings, the way he weighed the evidence and the manner in which he said nothing of an intemperate nature make this an exemplary process, though not one without its minor flaws. It leaves too many ends hanging loose and lets the government off the hook. But, on the other hand, it recognises the special set of circumstances surrounding the Kelly affair and makes no attempt to second-guess Mr Blair's reasons for going to war. It was an attempt to put the blame where some blame lies: at the door of Broadcasting House. None the less, this paper is a supporter of the BBC and would be generally against censorship. Mr Gilligan's broadcast was unusual, but so is a lot of news at six in the morning. Overall, a good day for open government, albeit a sad one.
John O'Byrne
There is no doubt whatever that Saddam Hussein was - and is - less than a credit to the human race. Few would support him if he were to be the British Home Secretary. He may or may not have had weapons of mass destruction, or even weapons of lesser capability. The real question is whether or not it was necessary to mount an invasion, and to place in Iraqi minds the idea that it is reasonable to look for such weapons by firing them - on target or otherwise - at ordinary men, women and children. There is an old expression, "to kill by kindness", which springs to mind. If the troops had been despatched to the front with olive branches, homely videotapes extolling the benefits of Iraqi neutrality in the world, and tankers of fresh water, then there can be little doubt that the invasion would have been proper, just and fruitful. Just as our citizens like to see a bobby on the beat, so the people of Tikrit and Baghdad would have been disarmed by the generosity of the west. A much larger army, less amply supplied with munitions, would have done the trick.
Bill Greenwell
There are two absolutely crucial lessons to learn from the Hutton inquiry. The first is this: that anyone can make a mistake. This is a sobering thought as we go about our lives. If important people like presidents of oil-rich Middle Eastern states dating back to the dawn of civilisation, prime ministers and director-generals of major broadcasting corporations are fallible, then what hope is there for you and me? The moral is there for all to see. Whatever their politics, all leaders are human. They have their off days. The next time you get off at the wrong stop, buy the wrong sort of yoghurt or forget to put the milk back in the fridge, spare a thought for the Blairs, Dykes and - yes - Husseins. Think of them as goalkeepers. If they make a mistake, the difference is that more people notice. The second lesson is this - the fundamental principle on which this paper will never, ever compromise: there is more than one side to every argument.
David Silverman
No 3819 Set by Keith Norman
How about an extract from Lord Hutton's report into the circumstances surrounding the death of Cock Robin, Polonius, Thomas a Becket, or any figure from history or fiction?
Max 200 words by 27 February.
E-mail: comp@newstatesman.co.uk
