Gordon Brown

First Minister Alex Salmond wrote to Gordon Brown: "It is disappointing that you have decided that any progress on the implementation of the commission's recommendations must be delayed until after the general election."

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"I make a commitment here that once we get to our final report, we will not shy away from making criticisms where they are warranted." Anti-war campaigners said they did not have much confidence in the latest probe. "Sir John Chilcot insists that it will not be a whitewash but the committee - the five members of which were all hand-picked by Gordon Brown - looks like it was set up with exactly that purpose," said the Stop the War Coalition.

Read more: Iraq War probe begins | In this article: Saddam Hussein, Iraq War, Tony Blair, Britain, Washington, Iraq, and Stop the War Coalition

"We do hope that the committee are going to be honest... I don't know why he (Gordon) died until the end of this inquiry," said Gentle, who co-founded Military Families Against The War. She said she would return when Blair gives evidence, telling the BBC: "I would ask him why he doesn't meet the families... if mistakes were made, he's the one that's got to live with it."

Read more: Britain begins long-awaited Iraq war probe (AFP) | In this article: Tony Blair, Iraq War, Britain, Rose Gentle, Iraq, Agence France Presse, Saddam Hussein, and United States

"We do hope that the committee are going to be honest... I don't know why he (her son) died until the end of this inquiry," said Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon died in Iraq in 2004.

Read more: Britain begins long-awaited Iraq war probe (AFP) | In this article: Tony Blair, Iraq War, Britain, Rose Gentle, Saddam Hussein, US, and Military Families Against the War

"We do hope that the committee are going to be honest... I don't know why he died until the end of this inquiry," said Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon died in Iraq in 2004.

Read more: Britain begins long-awaited Iraq war probe (AFP) | In this article: Iraq War, Britain, Tony Blair, Agence France Presse, Rose Gentle, Saddam Hussein, US, and All rights reserved

At the CBI conference yesterday, Gordon Brown said that "our strategy for growth is not at the expense of necessary deficit reduction - it is absolutely central to that objective".

Read more: The Politics of Business | In this article: David Cameron, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Tax, and International Monetary Fund

He added: "The most immediate concern is to get people back into their homes and to get them fed and keep them warm, as well as to ensure we can start the structural review of bridges. "

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"China and other emerging Asian economies are shifting from exports to domestic demand but they have some way to go." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, also speaking at the same conference, agreed investment from China could help drive Britain's economic recovery. "In our new growth strategy I want not just hundreds but thousands of Chinese companies in Britain, and British companies in China," Brown said.

Read more: Global economy still fragile: IMF chief | In this article: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, International Monetary Fund, Britain, China, Europe, London, Unemployment, Bank of England, and Confederation of British Industry

"I am extremely encouraged that so many heads of state and government have now publicly confirmed their intention to go. This is an important signal and I shall continue to encourage others to do so," Brown wrote. Britain has pushed other nations hard in recent months to commit to a legally binding treaty at the summit, although Brown has acknowledged that a pact may not be sealed until 2010. "The Copenhagen agreement must allow for immediate implementation of its provisions, while also including a clear commitment to convert the agreement into an internationally legally binding treaty as soon as possible,"

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"In our new growth strategy I want not just hundreds but thousands of Chinese companies in Britain, and British companies in China," Brown said.

Read more: IMF chief: Global economy still fragile | In this article: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, International Monetary Fund, Britain, London, China, Europe, Unemployment, Bank of England, and Confederation of British Industry