I voted against this war

Anyone reading my Informer columns before the war will know why.

My view was neatly set out in the cross-party amendment against the war which formed the key vote in Parliament.

Even as the battles wage, let me reproduce it:

"That this House believes that the case for war against Iraq has not yet been established, especially given the absence of specific United Nations authorisation; but, in the event that hostilities do commence, pledges its total support for the British forces engaged in the Middle East, expresses its admiration for their courage, skill and devotion to duty, and hopes that their tasks will be swiftly concluded with minimal casualties on all sides."

I and my party aren't alone in such views.

Former Conservative and Labour Foreign Secretaries, Douglas Hurd and Robin Cook, share such a position.

As we hope for a swift end, thinking constantly of our troops and their families, the key "post-Saddam" issues are clear.

We must win the Iraqi people's trust - through humanitarian aid and clear evidence that coalition forces are not armies of occupation.

That means the United Nations must be involved in the immediate post-war administration.

That means Iraq's reconstruction must be managed internationally, including Arab and Muslim countries.

The failure of diplomacy and international co-operation that helped lead to the war must not be repeated.