Matthews: Time for Labour and Tories to admit they were wrong on Iraq

12.11.26pm GMT Fri 19th Dec 2008

Gordon Brown has, at last, announced a date for withdrawing our troops from Iraq. In 2003, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and the Labour Party, wholeheartedly supported by the Conservatives considered Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and long range missiles, and its continuing non-compliance with Security Council Resolutions, pose a threat to international peace and security.

Neil Matthews, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Folkestone & Hythe, believes that without waiting for the necessary 2nd UN resolution, Parliament's collective votes in 2003 had the effect of Britain declaring war on Iraq, and has called on local MP Michael Howard to apologise for his part in that decision.

Neil said:

"It is time Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in particular, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party apologise for their totally wrong decision.

"Folkestone & Hythe's MP Michael Howard must stop hiding behind his 'plea' that he relied on false information at the time. War is a very serious undertaking and an MP has to be 100% sure of the facts - he wasn't.

"Of the main parties, only the Liberal Democrats had the courage and strength of conviction not to succumb to President Bush's bidding. Every Liberal Democrat MP in the house voted against the Declaration of War.

"At moments of national importance Liberal Democrats call the right decisions time and time again. Vince Cable has been telling the Government what to do since the first signs of the credit crunch.

"When the decision was made to send in our troops, Liberal Democrats supported, completely, our forces in the theatre of war. They had a difficult job to do - but they did it with the true professionalism. We thank them for the supreme efforts in what was truly a momentous undertaking."