06/07/2017 BBC News at Six

Tonight at Six: Tony Blair and the Iraq War -

the most outspoken comments yet from Sir John Chilcot,

He says the former Prime Minister was emotionally involved

in the argument and relied more on his beliefs than on facts.

I think any Prime Minister taking a country to war has got to be

straight with the nation and carry it as far as

I don't believe that was the case in the Iraq instance.

It's a year since the inquiry's report into the war -

Mr Blair's supporters say that should have been the last word.

I think it's unfair and wrong and not justified by the evidence,

Also on tonight: examines in detail.

Choosing care for the elderly - why one campaigner says it's

A damning report on care services in England says one

Polish crowds welcome President Trump - he says

the western way of life is threatened by extremists.

Mission to Mercury - European and Japanese scientists

unveil their plan to explore the red-hot planet.

Root to the rescue - he lifts English spirits

And coming up on BBC News, we'll have Wimbledon Sportsday for you,

with all the latest action from day four from the All-England Club

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

The controversy surrounding the Iraq war - then and now -

revolves around Tony Blair's role in taking Britain into battle.

Today, Sir John Chilcot - the man who led the inquiry about the war -

On the first anniversary of his report, in an exclusive

interview with the BBC, he said that Mr Blair was not straight

with the public when he argued so forcefully

Mr Blair's office has insisted that five separate reports -

including the Chilcot inquiry - have found that there was no

Here's our political editor Laura Kuenssberg.

The truth... British service men and women are engaged in air, land and

sea. And the whole truth about Britain's war in Iraq. We will

approach our it is a income a way that is rigorous, fair... The man

charged with finding it. The man who took us in. Responsibility, but not

a regret for removing Saddam Hussein. A year since his vast

report emerged, Sir John Chilcot's view. Tony Blair is always an

advocate. He makes the most persuasive case he can. Not

departing from the truth, but persuasion is everything. There is a

responsibility on the leading politician of the government, both

to make the case for the policy decision taken, but also to balance

that with realism about risks, down sides, counter arguments. If you act

as a one-sided advocate you risk losing that. You spent years

studying this intelligence. The way you put it in the report and what

you have said suggests as somebody who spent their life in public

services, that you feel he manipulated the evidence to make his

own case. I'm declining the word manipulate and using as best he

could. It is only fair to him to say that on the eve of the invasion, he

asked the then chair of the Joint Intellegence Committee, can you tell

me beyond reasonable doubt that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass

destruction and the answer was yes. He was entitled to rely on that. But

would it have been wise? Do you feel he gave you the fullest version of

events? I hesitate to say this, but I think from his stand point it was

emotionally truthful. I think he was under great emotional pressure. Far

more than the committee were. He was suffering, he was deeply engaged.

Just in the most simple terms, do you believe that Tony Blair was as

straight with you and the public as he ought to have been? Can I

slightly reword that to say, I think any Prime Minister taking a country

into war has got to be straight with the nation and carry it so far as

possible with him or her. I don't believe that was the case in the

Iraq instance. There was no lies, but there was a decision... Sir John

didn't then and does not now say Tony Blair intentionally deceived

anybody and the former Prime Minister's friends reject the

suggestion that he was not straight. He made it clear that Tony Blair did

not seek to deceive the public or Parliament to use the word not

straight gives a different spin. It is unfair and not justified by the

evidence. Did he do a good job with our relations with the United

States? The enquiry produced evidence of the ties. Up to 2002 the

policy was one of containment. But the Prime Minister was running one

of coercive diplomacy, but the Foreign Secretary hoped diplomacy

would work and not coercion. With the Prime Minister it was probably

look the other way around. When you saw the documents, and I'm thinking

of the note... Of course I shall be with you whatever. What did you

think when you saw that? You mustn't say that? Because? Because you're

giving away too much and making a binding commitment from one

government to another which you can't fulfil. You're not in a

position to fulfil it. He didn't even know the legal position at that

point. So many documents like this end up simply on the shell of. But

the author believes the narrative of Britain in Iraq has changed things.

Do you think we could ever go to war in the same way? Oh yes, in a

crisis, yes. No question about it. But more generally, I think we have

seen evidence of not of a failure of nerve, but an insistence on much

better control of capacity, resources, before reaching a

decision to do something on that scale. The report has brought in a

new level of challenge? I believe so and I'm assured so and I hope it is

so. By whom? What assurances have you had. The rising generations.

What about the families? I was extremely uncertain saz to what kind

of reception we would get, whether it would be brickbats or rotten

tomatoes, but we got loud applause. The sense of relief I experienced

was huge. My hope is that some future minds will have been changed.

Because you can't just say that block of volumes never existed. It

is there now. It is standing in the way of a retreat back down the reed

to a lesser -- road to a lesser standard. Giving a post script to

his reputation, built power, political power and ambition defined

so much by one decision. Some might say what difference do

these commenters make now? The decision to go to war was one of the

most controversial any British Prime Minister had taken for decades. Sir

John's comments, while they may give rise to the familiar criticism, they

have shared insight not just into are what went wrong, but the

psychology around the decision-making process and the

inquiry itself. Tony Blair completely rejects the accusation

that he pursued his own version of events, but I think the broader

significance of Sir John's reading of this today may well be in terms

of what happens if we find ourselves in a similar situation again, what

should the responsibilities of not just No 10, but the MoD, the

military, the intelligence services, how can they avoid falling short as

they did in many instances in terms of run up to and of course the

aftermath of the Iraq war? Sir John does believe there have been changes

already in the last 12 months, but I think his comments today are a heavy

reminder to all institutions in this square mile that they have a

responsibility to all of us when it cops to taking the -- comes to

taking the most serious decisions, to commit forces into a conflict.

Thank you. Finding the right care provision

for the elderly has become a game of "Russian roulette" -

that's according to It follows a new report

from the Care Quality Commission which found that a quarter

of services are More than a million vulnerable

people use care services in the UK. Nearly 600,000 get care

in their own homes from agencies. And about 300,000 are looked

after in nursing homes. Inspectors in England found

a lack of staff and errors over drugs amongst most

the serious problems. Our social affairs correspondent

Alison Holt reports. Mum. Can you open your eyes. Bernie

gives her 78-year-old mother lunch. Betty is now back with family, but

she lived in a nursing home. The family put in a seek kret camera and

it picked up the sort of poor care highlighted in the report. It showed

a care worker pushing the chair to the desk, later when Betty objects

to her top being changed, her head is slammed back into the chair. I

don't want to. Last February in court, the care worker accepted her

actions were reckless rather than intentional and she was given a

community order. Query everything. Don't let them dismiss you. Because

they did with us for about eight months. I wish we would have pursued

it a lot quicker. Because mum you know probably wouldn't have suffered

the way she did. The report by inspectors said most care in England

is good, even so a quarter of services failed on safety. And 37%

of nursing homes were not safe enough. Also when reinspected,

quality of care in some good homes had deteriorated. There is good

care, we can be confident about that, but what it is saying is that

some of the care is fragile and we have got to concentrate on making

sure we shine the spotlight on poor care. When the number of older

people and younger disabled adults is increasing, the report raises

concerns about the quality of care that some are getting. But those at

the sharp end say it underlines the importance of rapid action to sort

out how we pay for and organise care. For individual families,

they're facing a degree of Russian roulette. Will there be a nurse?

These are such fundamental questions and it is unfair to expect older

people to be facing them at the most vulnerable time of their lives. This

home in London is rated outstanding. Jane heads the organisation that

runs it. Their research suggests a quarter of people still think the

state will pay for their care. If we are still talking about this in

three years, that will bh a disaster for people living and working in

services. We have to recognise this is a crucial issue and move with

some pace. The Government said poor care is unacceptable and that as

well as putting in more money, it will consult on how to place social

care on a more secure footing for the future. But the question for

many is how quickly will that happen?

A man who killed two former girlfriends, five years apart,

has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 25 years.

Robert Trigg was convicted of murdering Susan Nicholson

in 2011 and the manslaughter of Caroline Devlin in 2006.

Both deaths were not treated as suspicious at the time,

but a campaign by Ms Nicholson's family discovered she had been

suffocated and Ms Devlin had been killed by a blow to the back

The Manchester Arena bomber was not part of a large network,

but others may have been aware of what he was planning,

counter-terrorism police have confirmed.

They say the priority is to question Salman Abedi's brother,

Hashem, who is being held by the Libyan authorities.

22 people died in the attack after a concert in May.

President Trump has called on people in the West to stand

up for their values - warning about the threats

Speaking during a visit to Poland, he said the fundamental question

of our times was whether the West had the will to survive.

He's just arrived in Germany ahead of the G20 summit,

as our Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale reports.

This memorial in the heart of Warsaw records one of the bloodiest

moments in Poland's history, the uprising

against the Nazis, in which

Donald Trump came to this revered site to

argue that Poland's resistance then should stand as an example to

As they fight against Islamist extremism that he

claimed poses a dire threat to our security, and way of life.

The fundamental question of our time is,

whether the west has the will to survive.

Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any

Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders?

He defined that civilisation as the shared values

of freedom and sovereignty, the bonds of culture and faith,

a view supported by Poland's nationalist government.

That bussed in some of the crowd from outside the City

Mr Trump also came here to meet America's I lies Nato's eastern

flank to reassure them for the first time on Europeans soil

that the United States would live up to the Nato charter and come

The United States has demonstrated not merely with words

but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5,

This speech, though, was not just for the audience here in Poland.

Mr Trump warned North Korea of "pretty severe action"

after its latest ballistic missile test.

And he told Russia to stop destabilising Ukraine,

a delivery tough message before his meeting with

Then it was on to Germany for the G20 summit,

where the President will receive a less warm welcome from protesters

and political leaders alike, whose definition of civilisation

The time is 6:17. Our top story this evening:

The man who led the inquiry into the Iraq war says Tony Blair relied

more on his beliefs than facts in deciding on intervention.

Still to come, a scorching day at Wimbledon and a big chance on Centre

Court for a British man, not Andy Murray.

Coming up on BBC News, we'll have more action from day four

And we'll have the rest of the day's sport as well,

including a test century for Joe Root on his debut as captain.

It's the planet closest to the sun, with temperatures

That's the challenge European and Japanese scientists face

as they unveiled a space mission to Mercury.

Due to launch next year, the journey will take seven years,

only then will two orbiting craft be deployed.

Our science correspondent Rebecca Morelle has spent the day

at the European Space Agency's test centre in the Netherlands.

A mysterious world, Mercury is the smallest planet

in our solar system, and the closest to the sun.

Covered in craters, towering cliffs and ancient volcanoes, until now,

A major new mission's set to change that.

This is the spacecraft called Beppi Columbo,

It has taken nearly a decade to build.

It's only when you get up close that you really get a sense

of the size of this huge piece of kit.

And this is a spacecraft built to withstand extremes.

To get to Mercury, it has to travel towards the sun,

and that means dealing with intense radiation and heat.

On the surface of Mercury, temperatures can reach 450 Celsius,

Its launch will take place next year.

This is probably one of the most challenging missions

It's the long journey to get there and we have to deal with heat

But Mercury is a tiny, enigmatic little world,

which has so much to tell us about the formation

Beppi Columbo's journey will take seven years,

Once it's there, the engine will be jettisoned, and two

They'll work together to give us our best ever view.

We'll see its features in incredible detail,

and peer inside to solve the mystery of what lies at Mercury's core.

This is the instrument we built at the University of Leicester...

British scientists have developed x-ray cameras for this mission.

We're going to be the first people on the planet to see this data

We'll be the first people to see x-ray images of Mercury's surface,

which is going to tell us about what the surface

is made of, and it's going to revolutionise our understanding.

The spacecraft will soon be packed up, ready for its long journey.

And while it will be sometime before we get the first results back,

The EU's Chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has today questioned

whether the UK has understood the consequences of leaving

He said some people believed Britain could leave the single market

and keep all of its benefits, but he said that was not possible.

Our Business Editor Simon Jack is with me now.

In effect, this is a rejection of the UK Government's negotiating

position. The government's position is we are going to leave the single

market, but the ambition is to keep the benefits of being a member of

it. It also says we are leaving the customs union, that was the

pre-election position. And keeping trade is also not possible. This is

a negotiation. But what it does highlight is that the gap between

what the UK Government thinks is possible that it can achieve, and

what the EU saying is reality is still very big indeed. Simon, thank

you very much. Cricket, and Joe Root has hit

a century in his first Test as England captain

against South Africa at Lord's. He came into bat with

the home side struggling. Our correspondent Andy Swiss

watched the action. The first test of the

summer and of an era. Joe Root arrived all smiles

and promptly won the toss. But as his predecessor soon helped

prove, it's anything but. Alastair Cook went for three,

soon followed by Keaton Jennings - He chose not to review

it when replays showed Enter the skipper,

and a true captains innings. He lived dangerously

at first, an early swish. Would he be caught?

Well, he should have been. As wickets tumbled

around him, he held firm. Magic and maturity in equal measure

as he led the England fight back. And soon after tea,

Root reaped the ultimate reward. A kiss of the badge,

an ovation from his team A century in his first

match as captain. Leading by example

has rarely felt better. What an innings it has been from Joe

Root. He is still there on 177, quite incredible. England now 345-5

in a day which had threatened to belong to South Africa now belongs

to England's captain. Andy, thank you very much.

Tennis, and Britain's number two Kyle Edmund is out of Wimbledon.

He lost to France's Gael Monfils in straight sets.

Joe Wilson has been watching the action, he's there for us now.

It has been an optimistic Wimbledon so far from a British point of view,

but rightly or wrongly, this is always a window of opportunity, the

fortnight for the limelight. If you get a chance, however young you are,

you really have to grab it. As we all know in elite sport, tennis is

no different, the pursuit of excellence is relentless.

This flag always flies at Wimbledon, but this year there is some

renewable energy behind it. The display is look, they are

everywhere. Early rounds are fine, but winners make posters. Smile.

Andy Murray says British players should always aim higher, so you

Kyle Edmund. Ranked 50 in the world, Edmund's Britain's next best man.

Fine to make an impression. His opponent was gale Monfils, seeded 15

but not a grass court expert. It looked like an opportunity. Mistakes

left Edmund two sets down. In the third, he broke the Monfils serve,

but couldn't hold his own to extend the match, it finished in three

sets. Edmund's first Centre Court experience had come and gone. In

certain points or match situations, I just needed to be better. But 20

years old, I don't know all the answers. Who does? Some even younger

were working hard. Temperature was an issue for everyone at Wimbledon.

Play was halted for over 20 minutes court free as a spectator was

treated for the effects of heat. On Court number one, second seed Novak

Djokovic only needed 90 minutes to reach the third round, he beat a

cheque ranked one number 126. The biggest issue, in fact, was the

weather. It was a very warm day, hot day. It wasn't easy to play point

after point. And some long rallies midway in the second set, it was

hard. Wimbledon working, not just for flying ants, you know. We would

be complaining if it was raining. Time for a look at the weather but

Sarah Keith-Lucas. They were talking about how hot it was.

Temperatures up to 32 degrees today in London. For many of us, sunshine

around, this was the scene near York earlier in the day. We have also had

heavy showers and thunderstorms around, too. If we look at the top

temperatures from today across the country, 32 degrees in London, quite

widely in the high 20s across England and Wales, slightly fresh of

Scotland and Northern Ireland, 18 degrees in Glasgow. We have also got

heavy showers and thunderstorms across parts of north-east England,

down towards East Anglia. If you catch a heavy shower, it could bring

lying surface water, spray on the roads and the threat of hail and

lightning. Potential travel disruption as we had through the

evening hours across parts of eastern England. Heavy showers push

out of the way quickly as we move overnight. Dry across England and

Wales tonight, patchy rain to Scotland and Northern Ireland. Look

at the overnight temperatures holding up at 17 or 18 degrees.

Sticky and humid overnight. Through the day tomorrow, sunshine across

England and Wales in the morning. In the north, for Scotland and Northern

Ireland, more cloud, patchy rain sinking south into the afternoon. We

keep the heat, not as hot as it was today, but we are likely to see 27

or 28 in the South East, fresher in the north-west. Heading through to

the weekend, fairly slow-moving front sitting across Central parts

of the country on Saturday. Perhaps bringing a few spots of rain,

dividing the warmth in the south, fresh conditions further north.

Still looking at the mid 20s on Saturday. And into Sunday, too. Dry

and fine weather, but a chance of further big thunderstorms on Sunday.

The man who led the enquiry into the Iraqi war says Tony Blair relied

more on his beliefs than fact in deciding on intervention.

And a damning report into care services in England has found one

It's goodbye from me - and on BBC One we now join the BBC's