Charles Kennedy

Liberal Democrats | Ross Skye & Lochaber

Kennedy: Blair Must Publish Full Legal Advice For War – And If Necessary Be Damned

Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, addressing an audience of MPs and parliamentary candidates at the Royal Festival Hall in central London today, attacked the government over its handing of events both before and after the invasion of Iraq, saying that ‘before and after the event, this Government has huge questions to answer and the sooner they answer them and publish in full – and if necessary be damned – the better for Britain and the better for the quality of debate in the forthcoming general election.’

Notes to Editors: 

Excerpts of speech follow:

 “We [the Liberal Democrats] have consistently, for a long time now, argued for the publication in full of the Attorney General’s legal advice upon which the Cabinet commended, in the name of the Government to the House of Commons and to the country, the war in Iraq. We’ve now seen the publication – and how typical it is – on a day when the Prime Minister is attending to European Union business and isn’t around.”

Addressing the publication of the resignation letter of former Foreign Office legal adviser Ms Wilmshurst, Mr Kennedy said:

“What is missing? What was missing was an excised paragraph from the letter of resignation from Elizabeth Wilmhurt – the Foreign Office legal adviser who described that act of war as a ‘crime of aggression’. And what’s also missing are the 10 days between March the 7th – when the Attorney General was regarded as being equivocal in a 13 page legal opinion – and the 17th of March, his 9 paragraph parliamentary answer making the case for war and confirming its legality.

We know from the reports over the last few months: the Cabinet did not get to see the full advice. We know also today – this all having happened in the build up to the war – that the All Party Defense Select Committee have published a unanimous report on the post-war planning in which they describe it being marred by a series of mistakes and misjudgments. Before and after the event, this Government has huge questions to answer and the sooner they answer them and publish in full – and if necessary be damned – the better for Britain and the better for the quality of debate in the forthcoming general election.

It is our consistency of principle and our consistency of purpose, in a united way, that has stood us – the Liberal Democrats – in such good stead throughout the course of the this turbulent and at times tumultuous parliament now coming to a close.”