YOUR article observing that “many questions remain unanswered about the invasion of Iraq” (Echo, Jan 2) certainly includes the conduct of the Blair Cabinet at the time.

With the honourable exception of the late Robin Cook, the Cabinet, including our own Darlington MP, Alan Milburn, appear to have supinely supported the Prime Minister and unquestioningly accepted the shaky intelligence about weapons of mass destruction.

I pressed Mr Milburn to justify his support on April 21, May 25 and June 23, 2003 – eventually receiving a reply on June 27 wherein he stated: “…as a member of the Government at the time, I supported the Prime Minister. My view has not changed, I continue to support him.”

Beyond this, Mr Milburn declined to enter any debate locally and the voices and questioning by the local Labour establishment were deafening in their silence.

We now know the horrendous cost and massive loss of innocent life brought about by this disastrous and probably illegal war. The Blair Cabinet needs to be held to account. Hopefully, Sir John Chilcot’s Iraq inquiry will be a step in this direction.

For the future, we know where our prospective Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates stand on the legality of the war.

Where does the Labour candidate stand?

Councillor Alan Coultas, Darlington Borough Council.