LibDems in Cities of London and Westminster call on Mark Field MP to apologise for Iraq

9.39.22pm GMT Fri 23rd Mar 2007

Mark Field voted with Tony Blair to support the Iraq war

Liberal Democrats in Cities of London and Westminster have called on local Conservative MP Mark Field to apologise for his support for the invasion of Iraq, which began four years ago this week.

Speaking on the fourth anniversary of military action, local Liberal Democrat Stuart Bonar said, "Four years ago, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown led Britain into the war in Iraq, and Conservative MPs like Mr Field were the cheerleaders for that war. I remember at that time the Liberal Democrats coming in for heavy criticism for our principled opposition.

"The war in Iraq and the occupation of the country were the worst decisions taken by Britain in the area of foreign policy in living memory. And Mark Field backed that decision. He voted for the war four years ago.

"The war to scrap weapons of mass destruction achieved nothing because there were no weapons of mass destruction. The war that was meant to bring stability to the Middle East has instead made an unstable situation far worse. And the war that was meant to make the world safer from terrorism has created a breeding ground for terrorism.

"Now, four years on, an opinion poll carried out for the BBC shows nearly two out of three people in the UK believe the invasion to be a mistake. They are not wrong."

Stuart continued: "It is now time for Mr Field to apologise to me and to all the other residents of his constituency, in whose name he voted for war. This war has made our country less safe, failed to achieve its main aims and every day British taxpayers are paying out £2.5 million to maintain the occupation - and all that is quite apart from the terrible human cost.

"And if Mr Field is not prepared to make that apology and if he continues to support the occupation, the least that should be expected is that he explains to his constituents why he continues to take the pro-occupation view he does.

"Given the lack of UK influence over coalition strategy, the deepening sectarian conflict, and the increasing antipathy of the Iraqi people to the coalition forces, the time has come for a controlled exit. We have done all we can and our presence is exacerbating the situation. The process of withdrawal should begin in May and end in October. It is time to go."