100,000 dead – 10 years on and I have some questions for Labour activists

10 years ago today over a million people took to the streets to oppose the war in Iraq. Our leaders ignored us. The result? Over 100,000 dead.

In a flagrant disregard to the UN, international law and the British public, the Labour leadership pushed ahead.

The elected representatives within the Labour party, with a few exceptions, failed to voice an effective opposition. Many, including those within the Labour Party, felt betrayed by Blair and his supporters.

In the immediate aftermath 25,000 people handed back their Labour Party membership cards and left in disgust.

What was extraordinary though, was that 208,000 members of the Labour party chose to stay on.

Thus, I have some questions to those 208,000 Labour Party members and those who have joined since.

What would your party have to do for you to no longer feel comfortable being part of it? What would they have to do to make you hand back your membership card?

Were the deaths of 100,000 Iraqis in an illegal war not enough?

A similar question of course has to be asked of all political party members. What red line does your party have to cross before you would leave?

For example, Liberal Democrats have to be able to answer if they comfortable offering tacit support to an attack on some of the poorest in our society?

Where is your personal line in the sand? At what point do you say enough is enough, I can no longer be part of this?

These are questions that cannot be ignored.

These questions are particularly pertinent to those still in commons who backed the war (Ms Harman for example). Even to Red Ed who has, I believe, quite strong anti-war credentials, he needs to be able to answer these questions.

Only if Labour activists can answer these questions can they begin to have the moral credibility to attack this current coalition government.

The loved ones, relatives and friends of the 100,000 dead – they need an answer.