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Sunday, March 07, 2004

Responses to Clare post

Thanks for the responses on Clare. Perhaps because I have known Clare for a long time and she has supported me on tough issues like Northern Ireland I am reluctant to be too critical but I do think she was wrong in a big way.

Edgar Pole says he prefers honest politicians. Don’t we all but politics is more prone to allegations of dishonesty then most trades. Often those allegations are unfair and you can see the problem when Clare says she had a transcript of a bugged conversation with Kofi Annan. She didn’t. That doesn’t necessarily mean she was lying. I don’t know what she did have but I’m not alleging that she is lying. Some times we all believe our own propaganda and sometimes we exaggerate.

Polls on international issues like war and peace can’t be a guide to policy making. The Prime Minister is unpopular over Iraq. I know he didn’t expect it to make him popular! He was right to say it is about judgement. I think the judgement was right but the jury is still out.

Claire Short has earned my respect as one of the last few honest politicans. Blair has exaggerated, twisted, distorted, avoided questions and played word games for the last 2 years, and his govt. have colluded with him. If tried over the war in front of a jury of 12 of his peers, Blair would not stand a chance. So it is a shame that most politicians will vote with the party line instead of with their conscience, and that they rally round to criticise someone who dares to speak out. It simply looks like the 'old boys' closing ranks on the whistleblower. And politicians wonder why the public don't trust them and are not interested in politics any more.... Really!