I'm sure you hate iraq as much as I do, but it will cost you the next election, and you stand no chance of winning the Withington seat back off john until Iraq is dead and buried. There's too many people have turned their back on labour nationally for that specific reason. In electoral terms it doesnt matter that manchester council is opposed. Manchester council doesnt run the country. And Iraq will get worse. It always was an artificial entity cobbled together by Western interests and it's likely to split into its component parts or hack itself to death trying , with Britain and USA impotent to do anything about it and not knowing how to get their troops out without looking like theyre cutting and running. A complete shambles.