The hardest word

The Conlon and Maguire families thoroughly deserved the public apology they received from the Prime Minister for the disgraceful miscarriage of justice they suffered after the IRA bombings in Guildford and Woolwich. Hearing the Prime Minister say the words "very sorry", though, reminds us how much easier it is to apologise for something that happened during someone else's tenure than to regret mistakes you have committed yourself. How about an equally public apology to the people of this country for taking us to war in Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that turned out not to exist?

The Conlon and Maguire families thoroughly deserved the public apology they received from the Prime Minister for the disgraceful miscarriage of justice they suffered after the IRA bombings in Guildford and Woolwich. Hearing the Prime Minister say the words "very sorry", though, reminds us how much easier it is to apologise for something that happened during someone else's tenure than to regret mistakes you have committed yourself. How about an equally public apology to the people of this country for taking us to war in Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that turned out not to exist?