"But....for the more politically sensitive among us, the tremors were felt before the start of the Iraq War, when people first began to realise what the Labour Party had become."

Amen - it was the great deception of 1997 and I would say most of us were taken in by it.

When it became clear that Socialist principles had been abandoned and we were left with just another form of Thatcherism it was most depressing. That said, we did get the minimum wage and some degree of social reform, but big business still drives so much policy making that should be aimed at making peoples lives better.

I really hope you're right Ake - we need some proper left of centre politicians back in the mainstream to balance the folly of unregulated capitalism.