It's only scrolling across the BBC News Front Page at the moment but my old -adversary? - John Baron has resigned from the Tory front bench over Iraq.
I have tremendous respect for John. We fought against each other in the 1994 council elections, and were school governors together. We also connected on our shared love of Manchester United. A decent man, who unwittingly let onto me that the 1997 election was in the bag when he implied he didn't stand a chance in Basildon. He also took the then Town Hall branch out of Streatham Conservative Association in protest at the inexorable rightwards drift charge. When asked to provide 'background' on him, this was the only negative I could come up with. I regret not congratulating him on becoming MP for Billericay - a safe safe safe Tory seat.
I wonder if his Guards background influenced his decision.
Update The Guardian has a resignation roll-of-honour.
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