Wednesday 1st November 2006

12.30pm ToryDiary update: Cameron challenges Speaker after he rules out questions about Labour leadership succession

11:30am ToryDiary updates: Scots' support for independence hits 51% and Andrew Mitchell on the plight of street children 

IRAQ INQUIRY

"The Conservatives found themselves going into the division lobbies last night with some unusual company – Labour rebels, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish and Welsh Nationalists – all of whom opposed the Iraq war. Yet three and a half years ago, many of those same Tory MPs enthusiastically voted with the Government to invade Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein." - Telegraph

"He won a crucial Commons vote with a margin of 25 — delivering a blow to David Cameron. Tony Blair last night dramatically fought off Tory turncoats trying to force an inquiry into the Iraq war." - The Sun

"David Cameron, like Michael Howard before him, has been trapped by his initial support for the war, left picking at its failure when chance arises. But at least he has begun to do it." - Guardian leader 

"The Conservatives may regard their position as awkward because of their vote for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. But much water, and blood, has flowed under the bridge since then, notably Mr Blair's claim that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, and the deaths of around 120 British soldiers. Support for the invasion by no means invalidates a subsequent call for a proper investigation into government conduct both before and after it." - Telegraph leader

"So what on earth was Mr Cameron doing yesterday standing shoulder to shoulder with such bizarre allies? The same Mr Cameron who at the Conservative Party conference a month ago affirmed his stance that “when the Government is right, we will support it”? The Mr Cameron who, in his several previous opportunities to make a statement on Iraq, saw no need to ask for any inquiry on any timescale? The Mr Cameron who seeks to be seen to have the qualities of a prime minister?" - Times leader

SEXY WALES

"A Tory MP from Surrey has written an extraordinary paean to Wales, describing the nation as an "underwired erotic coquette" and Swansea as "Britain's Bay of Naples". Michael Gove, who represents the quintessential Home Counties constituency of Surrey Heath, also spoke of Wales' burgeoning "sexiness" and praised South Wales' innate "romantic and sensual" qualities." - Western Mail

GUARDIAN DISPARAGES RESPONSIBILITY SPEECH

"This is part of a multi-pronged attempt to look like the Candidate of Youth, following the ghastly pantomime earlier in the week where he listened to the lifestories of some 12-year-old ex-junkies who'd gone clean, and was pictured, oh yes, friends, wiping away a tear." - Zoe Williams in The Guardian

PROPOSALS TO BAN FLAG-BURNING

"It is quite normal for Labour to seek to deal with Muslim radicals by aiming their measures at the rest of us (religious hatred legislation, banning crucifixes because of concerns about veils, attacking all faith schools because you can't single out the madrassas etc). What is especially feeble about this law is that it is aimed at a symptom of Muslim disaffection, not the malady itself." - Daniel Hannan in The Telegraph

OTHER NEWSLINKS

"The British general commanding all 31,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan has pledged to focus his winter campaign on development projects rather than killing Taleban fighters." - Times

Post your questions to Voice of Korea's president - Guardian newsblog

"Online gambling has triggered a "money-laundering arms race" among organised criminals and risks turning a generation of young people into addicts, a Government-commissioned report warned yesterday." - Telegraph

Have we missed any important stories?
Please use the 'Comments' to tell other visitors about interesting links...