A man of courage and conviction

Whatever you might think about Peter Hain, he has proved himself to be a man of great personal courage and conviction. Of course, when it comes to being a British politician he is not a lot better than any of the others. But at least he has done something.

Where Hain showed his mettle was well before he even lived in Britain, let alone became an MP or a minister. It was as a small boy in South Africa, where he joined forces with his amazingly brave and dedicated parents in their struggle against Apartheid. For this alone, his autobiography, Outside In is a remarkable and sometimes inspiring read. For this alone, his footprint in history will be much larger than that of most of his more illustrious contemporaries.

When I entered Parliament in 1983, the green benches were stuffed with old boys who had fought in the war. Many, if not all of them had been heroic.