The "Trial of Tony Blair" was a fringe event at the Labour Party Spring Conference held in Manchester, UK on 12 March 2004--organised by the Stop the War Coaltion. Tony Blair was staying at the plush Midland Hotel less than a hundred yards from the hall where the trial took place. In between was a veritable army of police, armed officers, Tactical Aid Group and Special Branch. Blair had of course been invited to the meeting to defend himself, but, curiously, declined to attend.

The case for the prosecution was presented by Chris Coverdale of Legal Action Against War (LAAW), former MI5 whistleblower David Shayler and his partner Annie Machon--also a former MI5 officer. Ghada Razuki of the Stop the War Coalition also spoke.

They were followed by 40 witnesses from the floor who were given 1 minute each to speak.

The meeting was presided over by a judge in full regalia including a superb wig. Two grinning statues of Blair also adorned the platform.

The jury--the people at the event--voted Blair guilty. The verdict was unanimous.

A CD-rom of broadband quality video clips covering the whole of this event is available from  answermanchester@aol.com. Price £5.

What's with David Shayler? Can't help thinking that somebody who still spouts the 'official' line on the Lockerbie bombing and the assassination of W.P.C. Yvonne Fletcher, i.e. that Libya was responsible, despite the fact that ALL evidence against Libya in both cases has been discredited, might be a bit out of step. I find the sight of anti-war campaigners queuing to give him their contact details quite disturbing.

Does anybody remember a certain incident from their history lessons regarding a large wooden horse and, er... a place called Troy?!

Zinfadel, do you not think it just a little bit likely that there are Special Branch/MI5 informers already in place in left organisations and movements? They probably already have all our contact details--if they don't they must be even more flat-footed than I thought they were.

How would public exposing their agents as whistleblower's help when operating in secret would obviously be more effective?!

Conspiracy crap!

Kate, I know damned well that there are Special Branch infiltrators, some are so obvious that you feel like helping them find their mothers. Some however are pretty well embedded. I know that they will have my whereabouts because they photographed my car (I'm sure they don't have to ask for access to the DVLA computer) and I have been photographed and videoed to the point that it hardly bothers me anymore. Recently I have been coerced into giving my name and address and have had a follow up visit from non-uniformed police officers. The telephone behaves very strangely at times and stuff I have ordered from 'interesting' places arrives opened and often with bits missing - but I don't get paranoid.

Presumably, because you couldn't address any of the points made about David Shayler, you resort to ridicule by using the 'c' word - which as everybody knows means you win the game without even kicking the ball. Funny how you missed your own inconsitancy, i.e. that Special Branch and MI5 infiltration IS part of a conspiracy.

The issue of Libya is obviously a bit more topical that on the night of the 'trial' but nonetheless, somebody with 'pop star' appeal who claims to have inside knowledge on an issue but exhibits a great ignorance of (or distraction from) clearly established deliberate false-flagging does not get my trust. I was merely questioning and continue to question Shayler's credentials because to me it doesn't add up.

You join the dots how you like, Kate, if you want to see the world as a Coca-Cola Christmas - that's fine.

I see that you did not answer my question.

Why would MI5 go to the trouble of publicly outing one of their agents as a whistleblower when it is blindingly obvious that they would be more effective informing on the left in secret?

Well?

Well, actually I did. I said that he has 'pop star' appeal. Hence the queues to hand over information. But there are plenty of other multiple bluff tactics which worked well enough for MI5/MI6 during the cold war.

But whilst you still haughtily giggle up your sleave at any prospect of conspiracy, we are being engulfed in fascism. As the BBC announce that fingerprinting and biometric scans are to be introduced at US airports (predicted by those whacky conspiracy theorists years ago) - I saw staff at Schippol airport having retina scans last week. Five US states are to implant RFID chips in homeless people - for their protection! Kids in US schools must give their fingerprints to get their lunches. Families must give fingerprints to enter Sea World sites in the US. The government plans to introduce enforced mass presciption of fluoride - used by the nazis to subdue the Jews. There is plenty more. But hey, they're just conspiracy theories!

I remember wondering as a kid how the German people ever allowed the rise of the nazis. Now I encounter people like you evrywhere and there is no longer a mystery.

Go back to sleep! Watch TeeVee.