Charles Kennedy

Kennedy's contribution on 18 March 2003 distinguishes opposition to the decision to invade Iraq from support for service personnel ordered to act. He acknowledges arguments and colleagues across party lines before returning to the absence, in his view, of a sufficient case for war at that time. The distinctive quality is qualification used to clarify a position rather than evade it. His speech is worth comparing with more accusatory contributions in the same debate: it offers a different way to make disagreement legible under pressure.