The UK General Election 2005 Thread

Exclusive: Labour MP defects to Lib Dems over Iraq

By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
26 April 2005


A prominent Labour politician will announce today that he is defecting to the Liberal Democrats in protest at Tony Blair's "lies" over Iraq.

The defection of Brian Sedgemore, who is standing down after 27 years as a Labour MP, threatens to upset Mr Blair's apparently unstoppable campaign for a historic third term.

Declaring that "enough is enough", Mr Sedgemore also reveals that a small group of unnamed fellow MPs who are standing down are secretly planning to leave the Labour Party in protest at Mr Blair's leadership after the election.

His decision to defect will intensify the escalating row over the legality of the war which was yesterday thrust to the centre of the election campaign.

A defiant Mr Blair insisted he would not apologise for the war when he came under sustained criticism after the leaking of the Attorney General's advice questioning the legality of the conflict. But Mr Sedgemore , who has been a Labour Party member for 37 years, yesterday blamed the Labour Party's policies on Iraq for his decision to join the Liberal Democrats.

Writing in The Independent, Mr Sedgemore says: "I voted against the war on Iraq and it becomes clearer every day that Blair decided to go to war after meeting Bush on his Texas ranch in 2002. After that, he lied to persuade the country to support him.

"The stomach-turning lies on Iraq were followed by the attempt to use the politics of fear to drive through Parliament a deeply authoritarian set of law-and-order measures that reminded me of the Star Chamber. The Star Chamber used torture but at least they allowed a proper trial before throwing someone into prison. That is when I decided enough was enough.

"For some of us it's not just about the war, it's about top-up fees and privatising the health service. We were going to issue a joint statement. That would have been the easiest thing for me to do but I believe I owe it to voters to speak out now," he says.

Labour's spin machine may dismiss Mr Sedgemore as a maverick with a case of sour grapes. But there will be fears in the high command that his call to voters to back the Liberal Democrats could mobilise dissenting voters against the war, and tip the balance against Labour in marginal seats. Alastair Campbell revealed in a weekend memorandum that Labour could be hit hard by voters refusing to turn out.

Welcoming the defection, Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrats' leader, said: "It is not surprising that he finds himself at this election in greater sympathy with Liberal Democrat policies rather than those of Tony Blair's Labour Party."

Mr Sedgemore, 68, urges wavering voters to "give Mr Blair a bloody nose". He says: "I'm renouncing Tony Blair, the Devil, New Labour and all their works. I don't do this lightly. I know that some of my friends will be angry, and that I will be rubbished by the New Labour spin machine. Mad Dog Reid will be set on me."

Mr Sedgemore breaks the silence among disillusioned Labour MPs who want Mr Blair to step down as soon as possible. He says that Mr Blair is "loathed" by many Labour candidates fighting to retain their seats. "Among the MPs there are 150 who loathe him and another 50 who have grave doubts about him and another 200 who love him. They are sometimes called the Clones or the Stepford Wives," he adds.

New controversy over Iraq forces Blair from his chosen battlefields

By Andrew Grice, Political Editor
26 April 2005


Tony Blair was forced on the defensive over Iraq as he angrily refused to apologise for the war and appealed to his critics to stop questioning his integrity.

Labour's plan to ensure the final full week of the election campaign was dominated by the economy and education was scuppered when the Prime Minister faced tough questions over the fresh doubts about the legality of the conflict.

He told a press conference: "I know there's a disagreement over Iraq. That disagreement we will never resolve, but I also know it's right to look to the future now. Let's stop having this argument about whether it's my character or my integrity that's at issue here and understand the decision had to be taken."

As the Tories and Liberal Democrats put the issue of trust in Mr Blair at the centre of the campaign, he accused them of raising the Iraq issue "because they have got nothing serious to say about the issues facing our country for the future". Mr Blair said of his decision to go to war: "I can't say I am sorry about it. I am not sorry about it. I think I did the right thing."

He dodged questions about the revelation that the Attorney General initially had doubts on six fronts about whether military action was legal. Asked why Lord Goldsmith appeared to have changed his mind, Mr Blair said: "It's not a question of changing his mind. The legal advice of the Attorney General was very clear ... The Attorney General came to cabinet. He was there. We had a discussion at cabinet about it." Insisting that there was no conspiracy or plot, he said: "There was a judgement, a judgement that might be right, it might be wrong, but I had to take it. I believe I made the right judgement. I believe the country is better with Saddam in prison."

He reiterated the point he made in an interview with The Independent last week that hewas not looking for an endorsement of his Iraq policy at the election. "Iraq has happened," he said. "We should look to the future. This election campaign is not just about Iraq. It's about the economy, the NHS, schools and law and order ... I don't regret the decision I took. People have to make their own minds up about it."

Mr Blair also warned that those trying to "send him a message" could open the floodgates for Tory MPs in scores of marginal constituencies.

"This election in the end isn't decided on a global set of opinion polls, it's decided in constituencies," he told The Guardian. "And if you look at those constituencies, there are a few hundred of a few thousand votes either way that detemine a lot of them.

"The Conservative campaign isn't based on a get in by the front door strategy, it's based on get in by the back door, with people thinking they're sending a message but ending up with the opposite result to what they want."

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, was also under pressure over Iraq during furious exchanges yesterday with John Humphrys, presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

When Mr Humphrys accused him of putting up "smokescreens" to avoid answering questions about Lord Goldsmith's advice, the Foreign Secretary snapped: "I have dealt with this. Keep your hair on."

When the Foreign Secretary tried to refer back to UN Security Council resolution 1441, which gave Saddam Hussein a final opportunity to disarm, Mr Humphrys cut him off, saying: "No, that isn't the issue."

Michael Howard, the Tory leader, said Mr Blair had "not told the truth" about Iraq. He said: "I think it was possible to go to war but to tell the truth, and Mr Blair did not tell the truth. And I also think it was extremely foolish to go to war without a plan."

Mr Howard said he thought the Iraq war was "probably" legal. But he told The Boulton Factor on Sky TV: "I would have taken it in full to the Cabinet. I would have had a full cabinet discussion on it. There is nothing more serious than taking our country to war.And if you are going to do that most serious thing, as Prime Minister the one thing, above all, you have to be is straight with the British people."

He said there was "a question of character and trust" over Mr Blair's use of the intelligence on Iraqi weapons: "Mr Blair's character is an issue in this election. There is a real question about whether the British people can trust him as well."

Drinkers favour Blair brew

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tony Blair is pints ahead of his rivals when it comes to the affections of the country's beer drinkers.

Beer2Go, a specialist ale shop in Bury St Edmunds, is selling special bottles of bitter named after the leaders of the three main parties -- Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy -- with their picture on the label.

And, in line with opinion polls for election on May 5, it's the Blair ale that has been going down best with drinkers.

"We have got Mr Blair with 45 percent of sales, Mr Howard is at 33 percent and Mr Kennedy at 21 percent," Beer2Go co-owner Ginny Buchan told Reuters.

All the beers, produced by a local brewery, use a different hop for a subtle variation "just like their policies", Buchan said, adding that for the sake of impartiality she did not have a favourite.

Who would you UK Cittizen Vote for Minister?

Mr. Bean
Tony Blair
that Terrorist
or one of the Royal's (excludding: the Queen, Fergie, and Lord Elpus or whatever his name is.)?

ConstitutionalGirl wrote:

Who would you UK Cittizen Vote for Minister?

Mr. Bean
Tony Blair
that Terrorist
or one of the Royal's (excludding: the Queen, Fergie, and Lord Elpus or whatever his name is.)?

Although I think that Chappy Lord Ellpus is handsome, charming, intelligent and witty, I think I shall be voting for Mr Bean (I didnt even know he was a candidate), because he never talks. That means he , in theory, would never lie to the public.

That WOULD make a change.

If he became Prime Minister, it would also make the PM's question time a lot more interesting.