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Election panel: Has row over war advice changed your mind?

Voters from our election panel give their verdicts in the wake of the leaked document

Friday 29 April 2005 19:00 EDT
Comments

Blair went to war on the terms that there were weapons of mass destruction and the reports they produced to prove it. There may be some underlying agenda - they definitely wanted to get rid of Saddam. Now the legal issues are becoming so complex.

TARQUIN STEPHENSON, 23, HERTFORDSHIRE Voted 2001: Didn't vote. Will vote: Undecided

Blair went to war on the terms that there were weapons of mass destruction and the reports they produced to prove it. There may be some underlying agenda - they definitely wanted to get rid of Saddam. Now the legal issues are becoming so complex.

JOAN MOON, 57, GATESHEAD Voted 2001: Labour. Will vote Labour or Liberal Democrats

I don't know if I'd say he misled the country. I'd say he is a very good linguist and was able to make statements that suggested he was telling the truth. I do feel he lost the trust of many people in the way he spoke about the war. Even if you don't trust Blair, he's a good politician.

MAREK NUSL, 22, HERTFORDSHIRE Voted 2001: Did not vote. Will vote: Maybe Lib Dem

Tony Blair probably would have gone to war for regime change whether there were weapons or not. He would have done what the Conservatives have now admitted - go to war for regime change and for a couple of UN resolutions that were not fulfilled. I don't feel we were misled

DICK TEAGUE, 61, DORCHESTER Voted 2001: Labour

Will vote Lib Dem

I wasn't surprised by this revelation. This isn't a bombshell, but I am appalled Blair is prepared to deceive his own party over this as well as the public. I find myself surprised, upset even, that for, the first time in my life, I shall vote not for the Labour party but for the Liberal Democrats.

SOURMA ALAM, 24, BRISTOL Voted 2001: Labour. Will vote Labour

It was a very difficult decision to make to go to war. I believe Tony Blair misled the British people in light of everything that's come up, especially the lack of weapons of mass destruction. He didn't go on sufficient evidence and consider all the points before the decision.

SANDRA GOODWIN, 48, HATFIELD Voted 2001: Labour. Will vote Conservative

The British public was misled by Tony Blair. It would have been better if we had known exactly what we were getting ourselves into. But now I feel you cannot trust him - the fact is he lied and that is not a word I use lightly, but he lied to us. If he can lie to us about that he can lie to us about anything.

EMMA WAINWRIGHT, 24, MANCHESTER Voted 2001: Lib Dem. Will vote Undecided

At the time I believed what Tony Blair said. I don't really agree with the war, but felt that if that's what we were told we should do then we should. Now I feel betrayed. It's put me right off Blair, I don't trust him. I wonder what else he's lied to us about. I don't know who to vote for.

AMOL RAJAN, 21, STUDENT Voted 2001: Too young . Will vote: Lib Dem

Blair lied to Parliament. The dossier contained facts so far from the truth that it's nothing but a lie. I didn't support the war, but only because it did not uphold international law, nor give the inspectors a chance to do a proper job. I'd have liked to see the UN flag not US flag flying over Iraq.

SARAH TOWNS, 57, DORCHESTER Voted 2001: Tory. Will vote Tory

I was more a supporter of the war than against it at the outset, but I do feel somewhat amazed that the Cabinet made a decision without being in full possession of the facts. If there had been a Conservative cabinet, I feel sure they would have wanted to know more before making a decision.

TESSA WOOLFSON, 25, MANCHESTER Voted 2001: Labour. Will vote Labour

Blair has acted properly and I don't think he set out to trick the public. The intelligence suggested there were weapons and he acted. I don't think he put pressure on anyone. Goldsmith agrees it would have been better to get a resolution but it was never possible due to France.

HARRIET WALKER, 19, SHEFFIELD Voted 2001: Too young. Will vote Probably Labour

I think Blair did mislead us. He knew how anti-war many people were and Goldsmith's change of mind looks suspicious. It makes me worry there's this faction in government that can do whatever it wants. But I have so much faith in Gordon Brown it outweighs my lack of trust in Blair.

NADEEM MAJID, 29, CARDIFF Voted 2001: Labour. Will vote Lib Dem

The public have clearly been misled. The last few days have shown the war was not an action Goldsmith would have sanctioned. I believe he was leant on by Blair. It's ironic this has come out in the week before the election. The Government's behaviour is one of the reasons I'll vote Lib Dem.

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