Wales voters' panel: John Thorne's final verdict

MEET THE PANEL Name: John Thorne Age: 58 Lives: Neath Works: Administration officer Original voting intention: Plaid Cymru Final voting intention: Plaid Cymru In 10 words or less: "Left-leaning, pro-European"

The Iraq invasion has been important in this campaign because the actions of the parties in relation to that issue gives a massive clue to their moral character that will affect all other issues.

It seems that Wales is between a rock and a hard place.

Written off by the Tories as being beyond conversion and taken for granted by a Labour party that has ceased to be a movement and is little more than an apparatus for MP's career building.

We have been ill served by Westminster time-servers and Labour yes-men in the assembly.

JOHN'S PREVIOUS THOUGHTS CPS:FACT> "Don't hold your breath - obscurity suits government very well" "The most irritating thing about the campaign so far is the abuse of statistics - this shows up most clearly when politicians talk about crime" CPS:FACT> "Plaid do a better job of forwarding the radical agenda" "Labour's bogey-man tactics were predictable" "If I was a superbug I'd vote Labour"

Between them they contrived to prevent a Welsh assembly debate about military action.

I've just heard Mr Blair say on television that he "went back to the UN to give them a last chance". A last chance to do as Bush says!

How very big of Mr Blair to give the nations of the world a "last chance" to do as they are told!

Bearing this arrogance in mind is it any wonder that a compliant Wales has been treated with contempt?

I must say again - our elected assembly was denied the right to debate the question of a war in which young Welsh soldiers lost their lives.

So the Labour party has turned its back on the democratic principle in the UN, in Westminster and here in Wales.

The Tories would have done exactly the same of course, and Mr Howard's weasel suggestion that they would not is a nonsense recognised by all.

If the Liberals had the courage of their convictions they would have signed Plaid's impeachment motion. They did not.

The only honourable moment in this whole sorry, bloody episode was when Plaid's Adam Price was excluded from the commons for telling the truth about Mr Blair.

When he walked from the chamber with his head held high, all principled people walked with him in spirit.

I'll remember that long, lonely walk by Adam Price when I walk to the polls on Thursday.

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