"Let's Hope Travel Broadens the Mind" says Greg Mulholland of George Bush's UK visit

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Nov 2003

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Leeds North West Greg Mulholland spoke at the rally of the Stop The War Coalition on Wednesday 19 November to coincide with US President George Bush's state visit to London.

Greg, who was involved in protests before Tony Blair took us to war against Iraq, was speaking on behalf of the Liberal Democrats who were opposed to the US and the UK taking pre-emptive military action in Iraq outside of the framework of international law.

Said Greg, "I am proud to be a member of the only one the three main political parties who officially opposed the war. All Liberal Democrat MPs voted against the war in Parliament and we campaigned nationally and locally on the issue"

Greg went on to quote from George Bush's interview in The Sun newspaper. When asked if the world is a safer place since the war in Iraq he replied "Yes, Much Safer". "Well we don't believe him!" Greg Mulholland told the crowd.

As well as the war, Greg criticised the Bush Administration's stance on the Kyoto Treaty, the prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay, the US attitude to world trade that helps cripples farmers and producers in developing countries, the lack of progress with Middle East "road map" and the continuing sales of arms to non-democratic and human rights abusing countries.

And Greg went on to say, "They say travel broadens the mind, so let's hope that this applies in George Bush's case. Let's hope he starts to respect and participate in international agreements and treaties and let's hope he start to work with the United Nations to truly build a better world, something he likes to tell us he is trying to do".

"George Bush tells us he sets big goals. Well we must tell Mr Bush and Mr Blair, we have big goals too: to seek justice for the Iraqi people by giving them their country back under the auspices of the UN; to seek a future for our children and our planet by responsible environmental policies; and to build a fairer and more equitable world where selfish greed is replaced by international cooperation. And goals don't come any bigger than that."