THE extraordinary attack by Hyndburn MP Greg Pope (LT, November 28) against critics of the UK decision to invade Iraq and the current inquiry into how the decision was reached, was to be expected from one of the most slavishly loyal MPs to New Labour.

Mr Pope was prominent cheer-leader for Tony Blair and Jack Straw when they toured the UK in order to persuade the Labour Party to abolish clause four of the Labour Party constitution.

Although many described it as merely a symbolic exercise, the removal of clause four paved the way for privatisation zealots of New Labour to create mayhem in public services which are currently draining resources from the NHS and, many claim, are responsible for reducing hospital beds in East Lancashire by 30% or more, in order to pay the excessive repayment charges to private financiers.

Mr Pope was also one of the MPs who voted for the invasion of Iraq.

Mr Pope is quoted as saying that unless Sir John Chilcot, as chair of the inquiry, calls for Tony Blair’s head to be put on a pikestaff, his report will be condemned as a whitewash.

It must have escaped Mr Pope’s attention that many in the press and the media generally have claimed over a long period of time that Tony Blair lied about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Does Mr Pope seriously believe that the inquiry panel consisting of four knights of the realm and a baroness are going to deliver anything but a watered-down interpretation of the events which led up to the war and that the inquiry at times looks more like a social get together for the great and the good, rather than a serious attempt to get at the truth?

Given that Mr Pope believes that those who have protested again the Iraq war are wrong, he should be prepared to tell us with the benefit of hindsight whether he would use his vote the same way again.

DON RISHTON, Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn.