Charles Kennedy speaking against the invasion of Iraq

The publication of the Chilcot report today has caused many people to remember Charles Kennedy's courage in opposing the invasion of Iraq.

The two videos above will show you the speech he made in the Commons on 18 March 2003.

Note the fury coming from the Conservative benches.

The Tories' had been driven mad by Tony Blair's unconditional embrace of the United States. They liked to see themselves as the great advocates of the Atlantic alliance. Suddenly they felt like like a young boy who had lost the friendship of a glamorous older boy.

I tried to convey something of Blair's approach to the US in a column I wrote for Liberal Democrat News the following year.

Future historians will probably have better things to do than discuss the internal politics of the Liberal Democrats, but the truth does matter.

I mean no disrespect to Charles Kennedy's memory when I recall that he was rather bounced into opposing the invasion of Iraq by his own party.

This post by James Graham tells you what went on before this debate and the famous march through London.