It will be a sombre debate tomorrow.
There have been six deaths in Afghanistan this week. I will salute the courage and professionalism of our soldiers. The question I will be asking iswhat is the end strategy of the conflict. We know that Obama has talked of an exit. His new General McCrystal has talked of the possibility of 'defeat'.
Still some talk of the UK being in Afghanistan for 'generations.' At the present rate of deaths, public opinion will call for justification for the war or a negotiated exit. It was increase in the body-bags returning from Vietnam that brought that conflict to a halt.
There has been progress especially in women's education. But it was bought at a very high price. If those gains in Kabul are to guarded we must do a deal.
I hope I can persuade the Government to end their years of denial and answered the questions. Are the results of the anti-drugs policy worth 175 British lives. Are Afghan human rights worth defending with our soldiers' lives. Should the corrupt. money grabbing Karzai regime continue with our protection?
The Government will pressed to defend of withdraw the main deception. Fighting a war in Helmand does NOT reduce the risk of terrorism here. Our terrorist are mostly home-grown or have links with Pakistan. There has never been any Taliban plot to bomb Britain. All wars have been sustained by propaganda. This myth must be exposed.
I will have the loves of the fallen in mind when I open the debate at 2.00 o'clock. All have pride in the bravery and sacrifice of their lost love ones. They deserve political leadership of the highest order. They have not had it.
Hooey
The revolt of 18 of us on the 10p tax was not enough to win the vote tonight.
As two of my correspondents pointed out yesterday, this was the low point in the Brown Government. Many Labour MPs did not join the rebel lobby because so much has been done to compensate the victims in other ways. There is a great deal of truth in that. But it would have been sweet to banish for ever the 10p nightmare.
The scare story that the Finance Bill would be destroyed by the rebellion was believed by some. It was all hooey.
Drowned
One Woman MP who is retiring confessed to me at lunchtime that she was taking her last chance of attending the Queen's Garden Party.
I urged her not to bother. You have to queue outside for an hour, then you are herded around the garden. There is little chance of seeing let alone meeting royalty. The sandwiches are not up to much. And it's going to rain.
She was not impressed and toddled off. There was an almighty downpour while the garden party was in full swing. It flooded parts of the Comons' Central Lobby and Portcullis House that I have never seen flooded before. My friend said she was sheltering under an umbrellas looking down as her shoes disappeared in the rising flood. She said she has never been so wet. Getting out through a mad crush was tedious and uncomfortable.
Another luckier MP was directed towards the Palace saunas where she and her clothes were dried.Howver, both will never go again.
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