As you will probably know I was opposed to going to war without full and specific international support.

I firmly believe that war must always be the last course of action - not the preferred route. I was not, and am still not convinced the US ever intended to do anything other than invade Iraq. However, I do give full credit to Tony Blair for forcing Bush down the UN route and trying everything possible to secure UN backing for action.

Unfortunately he failed and we entered a war with little international support, and this could prove difficult in the long run.

A am not a pacifist and believe that war can be justified in certain circumstances, but at the time of the debate in the Commons I didn't think there was a moral justification for unilateral pre emptive action against Iraq. That is why I stepped down as a PPS in the government to allow me to express these concerns openly to my constituents. I believe Saddam and his regime needed to be dealt with, possibly by force in the long run, but no case was made that it had to be March 2003 as far as I can see.

Andy Reed MP today welcomed a further Statement to the Commons by the Prime Minister about troop numbers falling in Iraq.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has confirmed that 1,600 British troops will return from Iraq within the next few months.
Mr Blair told MPs the 7,100 serving troops would be cut to 5,500 shortly, with hopes that another 500 could leave by the end of summer.

He said some soldiers would remain into 2008, helping secure supply routes and borders and to support Iraqis.

Basra remained a "dangerous" place but he said that Iraqis would "write the next chapter" in its history.

Mr Blair said the troops reduction followed the success of Operation Sinbad to allow Iraqis to take the lead in front line security in Basra.

Andy Reed said he hoped that the process could be quickened. "I am still sure we shouldn't have invaded Iraq in the first place but we can't cut and run and leave the country in a bigger mess just for short term political expediency. We now have a duty to see this through and leave the country in a stable position with Iraqis running their own affairs."