I caught the arse end of a speech last night by Reg Keys on the telly last night. Wish I’d seen the whole thing but I was channel hopping to find out if our local MP had survived (he hadn’t, see prevous post). Watching telly this morning I didn’t see the speech anywhere, which surprised me as it was so honest, emotive and real. Maybe it’s because Tony and Cherie had to stand there looking like idiots while this man poured out his soul – exposed as they should have been as frauds. That kind of image doesn’t do well for the our Presidente, hence the difficulty in finding a video of the speech. Luckily, I found a transcript at Talk Politics of what Reg Keys said, then discovered that his speech had been posted on his own site. Here’s a transcript – I just wish I could post a video of Blair looking as humilated as he did last night when Mr. Keys made this speech…

If this war had been justified by international law I would have grieved and not campaigned. If weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq — again I would have grieved, not campaigned.

Tonight there are lessons to be learned. I hope in my heart that one day the prime minister may be able to say sorry. That one day he will say sorry to the families of the bereaved. And one day the prime minister may be able to visit wounded soldiers in hospital.

Then our campaign will not be in vain and all the people who have given me their vote tonight have sent a clear and resounding message about the Iraq war. Thank you for all the people that voted for me tonight.

I would like to thank my wife and my son, who have supported me tirelessly through this campaign. A remarkable campaign.

I do not claim to be a professional politician, fighting this campaign has not been an easy task for me but I had to do it for my son, Thomas Keys, royal military policeman, killed in Iraq four days short of his 21st birthday. Sent to war under extremely controversial circumstances.

If I were a serious blogger, this would be be point that I’d order you to ‘read it all’. I won’t, wouldn’t and can’t – that was all that was said. Good luck to the man and his family in the future, he did an important service last night.

The Tories scored another victory over Labour in Peterborough and won Newbury from the Liberal Democrats.

There you go, the local tory chinless wonder has won himself a seat, against most civilised human’s wishes. You can bet I’ll be harassing him in the future on the big issues.

For a bloke that campaigned on his lack of chin, his weed pulling ability (I kid you not) and his willingness to support fox killing, he had better tread carefully in the next few months – there are 23,311 people in this area who think he’s a shit. Two of them live in this house.

The people have spoken, the bastards.

..does Peter Snow do the rest of the time?