http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,9061,1124404,00.htmlTony Blair was last night presented with the prospect of 24 concentrated hours of nail-biting that may decide the fate of his premiership when Lord Hutton announced he will unveil his report on the Kelly affair the day after MPs vote on student grants and fees.
The law lord ended weeks of speculation and delay when he confirmed that he will publish his findings - still unfinished - at lunchtime on January 28, giving the six main players in the drama, including Downing Street, the BBC and the family of David Kelly, copies in strict confidence 24 hours before.
Though the 72-year-old Lord Hutton's fierce independence of the machinery of government is not contested, it was authoritatively said that he brought forward plans to publish on February 4 because of persistent speculation about his intentions by MPs and the media. Michael Howard has made Mr Blair's "lies" a major issue.
The Hutton report will go, possibly under armed guard, to unidentified printers on Monday. Not even the security services will know where, since they are one of the interested parties in last summer's conflict over the events leading to Dr Kelly's suicide.
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