CONDUCT OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR ST ALBANS

That this House notes with grave concern remarks by the honourable Member for St Albans reported in the St Albans Observer about Iraq, namely that 'Everyone in Iraq loves Saddam Hussein. It seems to me that the Arab mentality is that they like firm leadership'; endorses the view of Conservative Parliamentary spokesman for St Albans, Charles Elphicke, that the people of Iraq are 'tortured, persecuted, murdered and live in a climate of fear'; believes that such references to 'firm leadership' are especially unwise in the context of the events of 11th September; and calls upon the honourable Member for St Albans to reflect on and then retract his ill-considered comments.