I will never forget the moment, around 1am on May 2, 1997, when Ivor Caplin became MP for Hove.

That moment was the high point of a glorious night which saw an end to the dark years of Tory rule.

Alas, seven years on, the record of two Labour Governments has been a mockery of the hopes and expectations of that night.

Among the disappointments and betrayals, the war in Iraq has been the low point.

The fallout of the Iraq war has not been as tough on Mr Caplin as it has been on the families of the Iraqi, British and US dead.

Yet with the re-election of George W Bush, I can imagine that no UK defence minister would want to serve another term and deal with the horrors of further military adventures in Iran, Syria and North Korea.

Andy Player,

-Brighton