Declaration of War : Iraq

5.56.35pm GMT Tue 18th Mar 2003

In the parliamentary debate on Tuesday on Iraq, both the borough's MPs have voted with Labour and Conservative rebels against the government decision to join the US in an invasion of Iraq.

Vincent Cable said: "This military action may well prove to be successful in the short run in over throwing the Saddam Hussain dictatorship. "

"But there will be damaging long term consequences: when the Iraqis start to resent a foreign occupation and suspect that the Americans are there to help themselves to Iraqis oil wealth; when governments like those of Saudi Arabia are destabilised and replaced by Muslim fundamentalists; when we become even more of a target for terrorists".

"I make a clear distinction between the political decision to persecute the war - which I oppose - and the position of British soldiers, whom I support. "

"I think the majority of the public will mae a similar distinction".

Vincent Cable also made a controversial intervention in Prime Ministers Questions challenging the Prime Minister over the fact that the Bush administration is using the war as a cover for hading out contracts to its friends.