2003

Ali Syed

Last year will be remembered as a most destructive year. The Iraq conflict developed into an 'illegal war' after the UN failed to back Bush and Blair. The weapons inspection team was recalled despite Hans Blix and Mohamed El Baradei - UN appointed inspectors wanting more time to complete the mission.

Economic sanctions on Iraq had already claimed more than 1.5 million lives - nearly half of them children. On top of this Iraq was in debt to the tune of $40 billion. It is widely known that the charade by the US administration blaming Saddam Hussein for global terrorism had been plotted as far back as 1996 February saw the biggest anti-war rallies of more than a million in London and 100,000 marching on the Labour conference at the SECC in Glasgow. This was reciprocated throughout Europe. Tony Blair failed to get a 'Second Resolution' and faced substantial opposition from his own backbenchers and the Liberal Democrats but received a majority support for his stance with the help of the Conservatives. Robin Cook and Clare Short resigned. After some three weeks of air strikes the US army entered Baghdad on 9th April 2003. The US and UK Coalition expected Iraqis to welcome them as liberators but the majority of Iraqis wanted them to leave after the collapse of the Saddam regime. To this day the opposition to the occupation continues. Some 500 troops, (380 US, 52 British, and Italians, Spanish, Japanese and UN personnel) have lost their lives. It is estimated that up to 15,000 Iraqis mostly civilians have been killed. Although Saddam Hussein was eventually captured alive the situation in Iraq is as bad as ever. The sooner the occupying forces leave the better for all concerned.

On the home front Blair came under attack for a 'dodgy dossier' relying on a 12 year old PhD thesis by a Californian student. Dr David Kelly committed suicide and Blair ordered a Public Inquiry. Alistair Campbell, Blair's Communication Chief resigned after the BBC's Andrew Gilligan's report of the 'sexed up' document about Iraq's military capability. Lord Hutton will be publishing his report in January/February in 2004. We are still waiting to find the non-existent weapons of mass destruction after some eight months of searching. No one talks about the Israeli arsenal of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, which are of a much greater threat to World Peace.

During 2003 we were led to believe that the 'terrorists' were planning attacks on London. Westminster was protected with huge concrete blocks and army tanks patrolled Heathrow Airport. The year ended with the prospect of armed sky marshals on the specified UK flights, much to the opposition from the pilots union.

Blair reshuffled his cabinet mid-term. Estelle Morris resigned from Education, Alan Milburn gave up Health and the Lord Chancellor's post was abolished. John Reid became Health Secretary. Northern Ireland's General Election result threw further into the cold a resolution to its troubles. Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party gained more seats that David Trimble's Party and Sinn Fein became the largest nationalist party, after being kicked out for standing against the official Mayoral candidate in 2000. Blair has been forced to change his opposition into support for Livingstone due to the prospect of the Labour candidate end up a poor fourth in an electoral battle with popular Livingstone.

George Galloway, however lost the Labour Whip allegedly 'bringing the party into disrepute' after 34 years membership because of an interview on Abu Dhabi TV against the Iraq war in which he criticised Tony Blair as a war monger for taking Britain into an illegal war.

Despite BMA and health union opposition, New Labour brought in 'Foundation Hospitals' in England relying on the support of Scottish Labour MPs. Tuition fees for the university students in England and Wales loomed on the horizon and is now a fact despite even greater opposition and again with the support of Scottish Labour MPs

The Iraq war was responsible for the defeat for Labour in Brent East by-election. Michael Howard became the Tory Leader replacing the democratically elected Iain Duncan Smith. Scotland's Parliament's building will cost more than £400 million ten times its starting cost and is running behind completion time. Lord Fraser started his Inquiry into the escalation of the cost. At the 2003 Scottish Parliamentary Elections both Labour and the Scottish Nationalists lost seats to the Scottish Socialists and the Greens. The Independents too gained seats with a pensioners' candidate being elected for the first time.

In Wales Rhodri Morgan gained three seats giving Labour a clear majority with 30 seats. Plaid Cymru lost five. Both Scotland and Wales gained under the Barnet formula in funding from Westminster. Paul Murphy consolidates his position despite being the only second Catholic Secretary of State in Northern Ireland but having a wide support from both Unionists and Republicans, a most difficult balancing act.

On November 26th, a truce was declared between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir borders.

The 'Road Map' agreed by the US, EU and Russia seems to be stuck mainly due to lack of co-operation by Israel. US vetoed the UN Security Council Resolution again for the 29th time failing to stop Israel building 'the Wall' around Palestinian areas described by the Palestinian UN Representative as 'the Shame of 21st Century'. Violence in the Holy Land continues with nearly four times more Palestinians killed to the Israelis. Despite world opposition Israeli borders keep growing like cancer into the Palestinian land. A new 'Geneva Accord' was launched on 1st December after three years of behind the scene negotiations between some Israeli Labour politicians and Palestinian leaders under the auspices of ex-President Jimmy Carter.

Col. Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader decided to get rid of WMD that no one believed they had.

Bill Morris, Transport and General Workers' Union General Secretary retired after twelve years in the post. More left wing leaders being elected to posts carrying more influence in the Labour and Trade Union movement. Some RMT branches decided to affiliate to the Scottish Socialist Party. The year ended with Iran having the worst earthquake disaster in twenty five years. More than 40,000 perished in Bam, an old historic city, south east of Tehran while just a few days earlier a similar earthquake in California claimed only three lives.

The Mayor of London bravely introduced congestion charges for vehicles entering central London - closely monitored by cities like Edinburgh. Ken Livingstone also applied to re-join the Labour Party four years.