I don't necessarily agree completely with the position that the Government has taken about participating in the military consequences of Resolution 1973 but it wasn't my call in the first place, obviously, so we'll leave it at that.

I am rather pleased, that having been said, that in his Press Conference a few minutes ago, the PM didn't take the easy way out and hide behind the Constitution. He recognised that participating or not is a judgement call and he made that call, taking into consideration the issues that he and his Cabinet deemed important, not least of which is the fact that there are perfectly viable alternative methods to achieving the UN's aims.

When I wrote the blog immediately preceding this, I made the point that the Constitution does not preclude participation in UN-sanctioned military action and, while I don't flatter myself that the PM consulted my blog before taking the presser, it is gratifying that my interpretation is the right one.

It is equally, in fact much more, gratifying that in the conversation with his Libyan counterpart that the PM recounted, it was made crystal clear to the thug Gaddafi's lackey that simply mouthing the words "cease fire" is meaningless unless weapons are withdrawn and the Libyan people allowed to achieve their aspirations.

There was no compromise in the way it was put, albeit diplomatically: the thug Gaddafi must go and sooner, rather than later.