Monday
30Oct2006
Voting for truth
Monday, October 30, 2006 at 9:37PM "That this House believes that there should be a select committee of seven honourable Members, being members of Her Majesty's Privy Council, to review the way in which the responsibilities of Government were discharged in relation to Iraq and all matters relevant thereto, in the period leading up to military action in that country in March 2003 and in its aftermath."
Above is probably the single most important motion of this parliament. Should it succeed, most probably with the support of the Conservatives, Parliament will debate in full, the actions by the government in the build-up to military intervention in the state of Iraq.
The Conservatives are actually demanding a broad investigation, similar to the Franks enquiry, which delved into the actions surrounding the Falklands War. It’s worth mentioning that the Franks enquiry was carried out after the war, however it must also be said that the Falklands conflict lasted little more than 2-months.
It’s no secret that this blog is a Labour leaning blog. I used to be a member of the party, and it was on the issue of Iraq that I wrote to the party to end my membership. No issue is more central to this blog's existence than Iraq. And so, on the very issue where I broke ranks with the party, I implore those Labour MP’s who share my outrage and shame, that a Labour government would follow the most rightwing American administration in living memory into an unnecessary war, to vote in favour of this motion.
I do not know for sure if parliament was misled. I do not know for sure if the cabinet were spineless in their cross-examining of the evidence. I would however like to know all that is unknown and unclear. Iraq has seriously damaged Labour, and nothing in the past decade has done more to tear at the social fabric of our fragile society.
It is no surprise that the government will echo Republican dog-whistle rhetoric to prevent a defeat. They claim our enemies are looking for a weakness and that an enquiry will undermine our troops. This is nonsense. If our troops are fighting an unjust war, instigated on deceit and lies, then they should know. A quick browse onto the military forums proves they are as outraged as we are. They should know. We should know.
If you voted for the war, not is time to launder your conscience. Do not allow this opportunity to pass. Carpe Diem.
in middle east, politics, scandal, uk, usa
middle east, politics, scandal, uk, usa 
Reader Comments (7)
Seize the moment, indeed, Tyger.
I'll vote for The New Tyger Party next May, on the strength of that statesmanlike linguistic performance...
Tyger. Remeber who you are leaving the party to. my advice is to get back in there son. We need as many people with your exact brand of politics in the party as possible.
You chose a good issue to leave over. Why not let it be a good issue to get back in on?
The point is only furthered by http://newerlabour.blogspot.com/2006/10/neer-more-true-word-said.html" rel="nofollow">this.
Damn, your links show up an inconvenient colour... click 'this'.
I don't know quite what we are asking for, I remember for example hearing Michael Howard stating quite clearly that if the Conservatives had been in power at the time they would have authorised an invasion of Iraq even if they had know that Iraq didn't have WMD, which is confirmed from the link below.
All we, well perhaps not "we" but certainly some people, are hoping for it seems is a change of Government.
Yes I left the Labour party the same day as Robin Cook resigned from the Cabinet. As for the question "was Parliament deliberately mislead" the answer is without doubt "Yes", the proof of that pudding being Blair deliberately misquoting Hussein Kamel's statement concerning WMD.
http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=8072
Michael Howard also criticised the British government over several issues, including immigration, crime, health and the decision to go to war.
His focus on Iraq is compromised by his own support for the war, and his stance that he'd have supported the U.S. decision to invade Iraq even if he'd known that the toppled leader Saddam Hussein didn’t possess WMD
"All we, well perhaps not “we†but certainly some people, are hoping for it seems is a change of Government."
I meant to say "as opposed to a change of policies". I really can't understand why the Liberal Democrats are not picking up support. If the Scottish Nationists had a candidate down yer in Oxon I would vote for them.
hi Tom,
I know what you're saying. And I want to return. Maybe in the New Year.
Michael,
I know what you mean. Strange. So many against the war yet it hasn't resulted in a swing for the Lib Dems. Blame Ming I guess.