Bob Ball (number three on the East Midlands Green Party list) and I were among the millions who marched in London against an illegal and dishonest Iraq war. Its alleged justification was that Saddam had ignored a UN resolution to give up his weapons of mass destruction - but it is now clear that there were no such weapons, and in any case pre-emptive attacks are contrary to the UN Charter.

The US former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill has revealed (and others have confirmed) that the US Government was determined to invade Iraq from the beginning of the Bush presidency. 9/11 and the weapons threat was seized on to justify this. Tony Blair followed because of his determination to remain close to President Bush. He also assisted with hyped-up intelligence reports and attempts to pressure the UN into endorsing the operation.

Labour MPs went along with Blair. The Tories were also in favour. The Lib Dems tut-tutted, but went quiet as soon as war was declared. No other party can match the Green Party's principled opposition to this war. Greens have protested not only against the war itself but against the use of cluster bombs and depleted uranium - and the corporate 'carve-up' of Iraq represented by the forced privatisation of its economy for the benefit of companies run by friends of President Bush.

It has been extraordinary to see a British Labour Government become the closest ally of the most dangerous and irresponsible US administration in recent history.

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