Brown didn't want to go to war in Iraq - or so we are told

12.05.43pm GMT Wed 11th Oct 2006

I don't know if I am just cynical, well I do and I am, the big news today is Gordon Brown didn't want to go to war in Iraq, am I alone in thinking this is clever spin to make him different from Blair.

According to David Blunkett's dairy Brown only offered public support for the War in Iraq in the final five days. Blunkett claims if he hadn't Blair would have sacked him, I don't doubt that, I doubt Brown was ever against it but this may be some kind of clever spin.

Spinning this may not work for Brown, if he opposed the War should he not have followed the lead of Robin Cook who actually showed his principles mattered. If he couldn't do that he could have followed the less principled and highly odd behaviour of Clare Short and resigned after the war.

We can only conclude one of two things:

Brown supported the War in Iraq but, either then or now, wants to be seen as not being in favour of the War as an attempt to try to shed some of the unpopularity of Blair and this Government, or

Brown did not support the War in Iraq but decided his principles were less important than power and his position.

Either way you look bad Gordon!