Official report shows Lib Dems were right to oppose Labour’s illegal war on Iraq

The long-awaited Chilcot Report proves the Liberal Democrats were right to oppose Tony Blair's illegal war on Iraq. Commenting, current Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, praised the judgement shown by Charles Kennedy in leading the Lib Dems to oppose the Iraq war and to unanimously vote against it.

The Liberal Democrats showed great integrity and guts in standing up to the establishment in the Labour and Conservative parties who wanted to rush the UK into war, and who at the time heavily criticised those who opposed the war. Chilcot's detailed analysis proves the Liberal Democrats were right to say 'No, the case for war has not been made.' Presenting his report, Sir John Chilcot stated: 'The UK chose to join the invasion of Iraq before peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted. Military action at that time was not a last resort'; in March 2003 Saddam Hussein posed 'no imminent threat' to the UK.

The Chilcot Report makes clear that the Labour Government were told at the time that their rush to war would increase the threat of future terrorism. The Labour Government pretended the opposite was the case, but Sir John Chilcot said: 'Mr Blair had been warned, however, that military action would increase the threat from al-Qaeda to the UK and UK interests.' The crucial debate in Parliament about going to war was held in March 2003. In the debate one of the Liberal Democrat members of Parliament predicted that if the UK invaded Iraq: 'we will face dreadful consequences, not just in the next few weeks but possibly for the next 10, 20, 30 years. We will reap what we sow.' And so determined were all the Liberal Democrat members of Parliament to vote against the war that Ming Campbell MP even came down from his home in Scotland to vote against the war while being treated for cancer. The Liberal Democrats were united in leading the opposition to the Iraq war, and were supported by the nationalists and some Labour and Conservative members of Parliament who rebelled against their party leaders.

The report praises the 'great courage' of the service personnel and civilians involved during and after the invasion, but makes clear the Labour Government sent troops to war without adequate equipment or planning. Also, 'The planning and preparations for Iraq after Saddam Hussein were wholly inadequate. The government failed to achieve its stated objectives.'

Slough Liberal Democrat campaigner, Robert Plimmer, said: 'It is very sad that Slough's Labour MP failed her country and failed Slough by voting for this wretched war. I know many people in Slough are still horrified that the town's Labour MP voted for the Iraq war. I'm proud to be a member of the Liberal Democrats, the only major national party whose judgement on this crucial issue was correct at the time, as is now confirmed by the Chilcot Report.'