Chilcot in Wisbech
King's Lynn and Wisbech StoptheWar supporters handed out over 100 leaflets about Chilcot's Iraq Inquiry today, and talked to people about its conclusions. We aimed to raise awareness of how the Stop the War Coalition had stood up for the truth for the last 13 years and more, and had now been vindicated.
The feeling that the war should never have happened is still strong, to judge by most of those we talked to, but people were amazed that the Inquiry had confirmed this. Clearly there had been an expectation that it would be a whitewash, and people were pleased that it had confirmed the truth of what they had always believed. At the same time, they were upset that so many lives had been lost or destroyed as a result of the invasion. They wanted to know what was going to happen next. Many wanted Tony Blair to be brought to account for his role.
Some proudly told us that they had been on the demonstration in 2003, and it shows that this protest has become a landmarks in people's lives.
Many people, unsurprisingly in this area, were from Baltic states, and it was interesting that they too took great interest in the result of this inquiry. They were also amazed that Stop the War had been proved right.
Some conversations turned very easily to Brexit. Many felt that the incompetence Chilcot identified in the Iraq War was still alive and well around the referendum and its aftermath. There was a surprising openness on Brexit and the question of migrants, and a complete lack of aggression even when opinions differed.
Several teenagers wanted to know more about the war and the inquiry. In one case, a young woman shared her mother's view that the war should not have happened, but clearly disagreed with her opposition to Europe and refugees.
All in all, our vigil and leafleting has shown me that people feel empowered by Chilcot saying they were right about the war, and that they are open to other views to an extent I have not seen before. My feeling is that the future matters to the young especially, and they are not going to be told what to think.
