Lucas impresses with Afghan war speech
By Tony Grew - 9th September 2010
The Commons debated the role of UK troops in Afghanistan today.
The debate was initiated by the backbench business committee.
The standard of contributions was extremely high, especially from new members such as Rory Stewart (Con, Penrith and the Border), Richard Drax (Con, South Dorset) and John Glen (Con, Salisbury).
The tone was set by Bob Stewart, new Tory MP for Beckenham and a former colonel in the British Army, who opened the debate.
Ahead of the Green party conference this weekend, the party's only MP, Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) made an impressive speech opposing the war.
She said it was comparable to the US experience in Vietnam and pointed out it is not unpatriotic to say there is no military solution.
Lucas said seven million people in Afghanistan go hungry while the UK spends ten times as much on security as it does on development.
The war costs the UK £7m a day - the Green party leader said it is time to bring the troops home.
When she was elected some dismissed Lucas as a one-trick pony - today's speech proved them wrong.
However, there was little appetite for withdrawl among MPs - they voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion backing the continued deployment of UK armed forces in Afghanistan.
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