Slagging off Polly Toynbee

Moral relativism, anyone?

Iraq stands as Labour's gigantic error, fighting George Bush's war on his terms for his reasons. It is blood that cannot be expunged, expiated or "parked", as some crasser Labour campaign organisers say. The cabinet and MPs were complicit, but this was Blair's war and he is immeasurably damaged by it: now it symbolises a host of other discontents. But there is not much Blair can do about it. He can't apologise for a war he thought right. I am not among those who think he lied. All he can do is keep acknowledging the widespread anger.

As her sub-editor summarises Toynbee's argument, "Disillusioned Labour voters should forget Iraq and think of the future."

On Toynbee's felicific calculus, it would appear that 100,000 British children lifted from the direst poverty are worth 100,000 dead Iraqis. A "price worth paying", presumably. No-one in their right mind should forget Iraq.