Charles Kennedy

Liberal Democrats | Ross Skye & Lochaber

Kennedy: No Causal Link Between Britain’s Involvement In Iraq And The London Bombings But We Must Address The Root Causes Of Terrorism

In a keynote speech on internationalism at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, Charles Kennedy commented on the current situation in Iraq:

‘I am not here implying some causal link between Britain’s involvement in Iraq and the terrible terrorist attacks in London last week. Not at all…but we have to recognise the occupation of Iraq by the multinational force itself contributes to the insurgency and attracts those from abroad who see the opportunity to spread violent fundamentalism… And the terrorist certainly will not shrink from using Iraq to increase resentment and as fodder for recruitment.’

Mr Kennedy went on to set out the values that are the backbone of the Liberal Democrat approach to international affairs, stating ‘foreign policy should not be about either permanent friends or permanent interests. Instead it should be based on and conducted against the backdrop of permanent values.’

Mr Kennedy outlined the four principles that will underpin Liberal Democrat Foreign Policy in the next parliament:

1. To be pro-European and pro-European Reform

‘The difference between being pro-European reformists- as we are and always have been- and being so call ‘euro-sceptic’ is that we recognise the value, validity and necessity of the European Union, and we recognise that the best way to affect change is from within.’

2. The support and development of the system of international law and institutions.

‘Only active co-operation between states through international institutions can address the threats posed by terrorism, and tackle the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, the abuse of human rights, repression, and competition for resources.’

3. To focus on international development

‘The initiatives agreed at the G8 summit in Gleneagles are an important step. But we should not be too self-congratulatory. They are only a small first step. There is a long way to go before the global trading regime is both free and fair. Distorting subsidies, especially in agriculture, will be difficult to unpick in the short-term. And pledges on aid are more easily made than implemented.’

4. To care for the global environment

‘Tony Blair has been making great efforts to draw the United States into the climate change consensus. But if the disappointing results of the G8 summit are the sum total of his achievements, he has failed. With or without the United States, the rest of the world, including developing nations should get on with business. What is needed is a concrete, target based successor to the initial Kyoto agreement.’

Click here for the speech