Inquiry into Soham murders opposed by Tony Blair, recordsdata reveal

Tony Blair was ‘wholly towards’ holding a public inquiry after the Soham murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the newly-released recordsdata reveal.

The Labour prime minister was beneath strain from then-home secretary David Blunkett to carry a probe into the vetting blunders that allowed Ian Huntley to work as a faculty caretaker regardless of being accused of a number of rapes and different sexual offences, which have been reported to Humberside police.

Huntley killed ten-year-old Holly and Jessica within the Cambridgeshire village in August 2002, and was later jailed for all times.

Mr Blunkett pushed for an inquiry after HM Inspector of Constabulary voiced uncertainty over whether or not Cambridgeshire Police requested Humberside for any intelligence on Huntley. 

Humberside’s knowledge was so poor the results of any examine would have been unfavourable.

Tony Blair was ‘wholly towards’ holding a public inquiry after the Soham murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman

Ian Huntley killed ten-year-old Holly (left) and Jessica (proper) within the Cambridgeshire village in August 2002, and was later jailed for all times

Papers launched by the National Archives present Mr Blair was initially immune to holding a public inquiry, telling an aide: ‘I’m wholly towards a full overt public inquiry. 

‘Why not get a smart individual, moderately eminent, to do it on a brief & fast foundation?’

But the PM finally gave the inexperienced mild to a public inquiry led by former Whitehall mandarin Sir Michael Bichard.

His subsequent report delivered a damning criticism of police failings and led to the creation of the police nationwide database – which permits forces to share native crime data – in addition to the Independent Safeguarding Authority and the introduction of necessary checks on the potential felony background of individuals making use of to work with kids.