What was your greatest failure as an MP?

What was your greatest failure as an MP?

Oona King (Author and Former Member of Parliament) gives expert video advice on: Who was your boss?; How much do MPs earn?; Do all MPs get the same salary? and more...

My greatest failure as an MP was in two areas I think. Obviously everyone would say Iraq. A lot of people felt betrayed by me in a way, it is weird, I had someone say this to me the other day, "We don't mind that so and so voted for it, it is that you betrayed me because you did". The fact that I was on committee's that looked at what Saddam had done and I felt very strongly about that issue, and I said on the record a long time before it came up, if we ever have a chance to get rid of Saddam Hussein we must do that. I wasn't going to change my view just because George Bush suddenly thought it was a good idea to go over, but the point is that is a failure because it is a failure to be able to explain your point of view and also because your point of view did not work out to be the best case scenario. So you have to be careful and put your hands up and take the rap, which I think I did quite publicly.