Ming Campbell recently wrote to party supporters as follows:

Of all the problems that face our country today, the situation in Iraq is the most tragic; not only because of the scale of the catastrophe in that country - food shortages, electricity and oil supplies still below their pre-war levels, and the rise of sectarian violence with 3000 deaths per month - but because this terrible situation could and should have been avoided.

Liberal Democrats opposed the 2003 invasion on principle. It was an illegal war, fought without a proper plan for postwar reconstruction. We also now know that it was launched on a flawed prospectus. Weapons of Mass Destruction - ready to fire within forty minutes of a command - simply did not exist.

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Liberal Democrat Leader, Ming Campbell, today wrote to the Prime Minister to ask him to suspend any further arms exports to Israel.

In light of disproportionate military action by Israel in Lebanon and Gaza the UK Government must suspend any further arms exports to Israel.

Over the last year and a half the UK Government has licensed the export of arms to Israel worth over £25 million, including components for naval light guns, military utility helicopters, aircraft radars and electronic warfare equipment.

The Government is right to ensure there are no arms transfers, either direct or indirect, from the UK to Syria, Iran or illegal armed groups such as the military wing of Hezbollah.

Kofi Annan has said attacks in Lebanon are inflicting collective punishment on the Lebanese people and the UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator has described attacks on Beirut as a ‘violation of humanitarian law’.

The Government must now comply with its own arms export rules and institute an immediate suspension of all UK arms exports to Israel.”

North East Fife Liberal Democrat MP Menzies Campbell has written to Mary Dickson the Managing Director of First Scotrail about the lack of disabled access at Cupar, Springfield and Ladybank Stations.

Commenting Menzies Campbell said “This is an unacceptable situation made worse by the apparent lack of any future programme to provide the necessary disabled access. The situation is particularily unsatisfactory at Cupar Station because it is so well used.