Quote Originally Posted by MMI View Post
I understand all of that, but the scrutiny of the modern press is less respectful of politicians now than it was in 1956, and it is prepared to worry at an issue for as long as it takes for them to make the point they want to make. One can only hope thay want to make it perfectly clear that Blair did lie to Parliament, and he did ignore legal advice that the war would be illegal, and that, as a result, the politicians, when voting - if ever it comes to a vote - will vote for appropriate action.
The legality or illegality of the war is a moot point- no country is going to test it in case it sets a precedent that backfires against them.
The same with the vote in parliament- nobody is seriously going to vote on the matter unless there is absolutely foolproof evidence that he lied in case it limits their own party when they are in power.
The press and minor parties can bang on about it as much as they want; as with Gladstone and the Nile Campaign it might even bring down the government; but at the end of the day the Conservatives and Labour (and the Lib-Dems if they thought they will ever get into power) will not vote for it because it threatens to tie their hands.