Robin Cook

The news that Robin Cook had died came as a great shock. This was a man who commanded enormous respect from across the political spectrum, who was a fantastic, modernising Leader of the House of Commons and who had a great deal more to give to the Labour Party, Parliament and the country. He will be sorely missed.

In amongst the mourning, am I the only one who feels a little uncomfortable that the occasion of his death is being used to re-run the anti-war arguments? Cook's resignation was a momentous moment in modern British politics (if only because it was one of the best speeches I've ever heard, even though I disagreed fundamentally with it). Bloggers 4 Labour hopes that opponents of his views on Iraq will "leave a few respectful days before challenging his views and his legacy" — frankly I feel no need to do that, now or in a few days. But the media which opposed the war is combining his obituary with a "we were right" attitude which I find a little discomforting (cf. the Independent: "Cook's legacy should be a timetable for leaving Iraq". Really?).

I rather think that the legacy of this man should be a reinvigorated determination to restore respect for Parliament and a renewed effort to place it at the centre of our national life.