As I could not return to London as usual on Monday evening I was at the mercy of the railways to get me to London on Tuesday in time for Mr Blair’s statement on Iraq.
First a derailment between Milton Keynes and Watford prevented my train from getting to Euston and a change of line from Coventry to Leamington Spa allowed me to catch a train to Marylebone but this was delayed by 40 minutes by a points’ failure in Birmingham. So I arrived only towards the end of the Prime Minister’s statement.

At a recent meeting with representatives of the Wyre Forest business community two views on Iraq were expressed.

• About a third felt that we should go into Iraq soon to finish the threats from Sadam Hussein once and for all but it was admitted that that depended on a belief that the UK and USA have unpublished evidence of a real threat.
• The rest of the group still held the view of most people I talk to that we should only attack Iraq with the full support of the UN when all peaceful means of a settlement have been excluded. I still hold this view.

The group are seeking ways of raising the profile of Wyre Forest to attract more manufacturing businesses and to help small businesses with the ever growing Government regulation and red tape that threaten to submerge them.

I also attended a meeting of the All Party Associate Group on Floods with the Environment Agency (EA) and was pleased to hear that the Chairman of the EA recognises that the installation of flood defences can contribute to the regeneration of towns liable to flooding. I just hope this will be remembered when the decision is made about the second stage of the Bewdley flood defences on Severnside South.

The affairs of the Harriers fluctuate just as wildly as my spirits in relation to hospital and NHS matters! 
They go from superb performances and places that give a chance of promotion to desperate losses but to give them all credit they are doing it on a shoe string compared with almost all other League clubs. I hope to attend a meeting at 5.30pm this Saturday evening at the Harriers that has been called to promote the idea of a Supporters’ Trust. This has been under discussion for some time and I do hope it will take off as it does point a way to more likely financial stability by involving more people in the support and affairs of the Club.

R.T.