My own feeling is that once the Americans and the British have rebuilt the things they destroyed in Vietnam, Panama, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan then they can talk about another "humanitarian war". All are in ruins, with thousands of families grieving for their dead, infrastructure shattered. The budget for reconstruction in Afghanistan last year was a pitiful $10 million dollars; Yugoslavia, years after getting rid of Milosovic, has seen pennies. The Americans and the British are some sweet-talking bullies, who know better how to destroy than to build, create, or heal.

That crowd on Saturday was made up of people who, probably at the 95% level, voted for Labour in 1997. What Blair's party needs to recognize is that we will either vote for the Lib Dems or even in some cases the Tories, or in many cases simply not vote at all. Labour will pay a punishing price for both not listening to us, and insulting us in the bargain.