COUN A Cottam's letter (LET, November 8) is an obvious attempt to extract the Tory party from the hole it dug itself into over the Iraqi adventure.

His then leader, Ian Duncan Smith, as an ex-army officer, could have been expected to bring some of that background to his and his party's judgments over the period leading up to the war.

He writes about the Tory Party as the major opposition party supporting the decision to go to war in the interests of national unity and support of our armed forces. But how effective are they? Perhaps he would like to comment in view of the current position of The Black Watch in Iraq as we write.

The job of the opposition within the context of Parliament is to oppose policies of the government by subjecting them to objective analysis.

Even before the war, when the so-called evidence for the decision was being marshalled, indicators were present that should have given cause for concern.

He will of course be aware of the courageous stance of Winston Churchill when he stood out as an almost singular voice against the pacifistic policies of the times. Subsequent events vindicated Churchill's views. Or the coverage of Harold Wilson of keeping British troops out of the Vietnam war, in spite of the enormous pressure exerted by the American administration of the time. As a Liberal Democrat, I am proud of the stance of my leader, Charles Kennedy, whose courageous stance against the unholy rush to war, for which he was attacked in personal terms both in the press and in Parliament, his lack of patriotism.

Well Coun Cottam, instead of flag waving, finish the letter.

Where do we go to from here in Iraq, and how can we now extract our troops in safety, without the input of the United Nations, which is the route we as a party, suggested at the beginning.

D D'ARCY, Haslingden Old Road, Knuzden, Blackburn.