David Lepper

Labour Party | Brighton Pavilion

Statement on Iraq

Without the Labour government's commitment to working through the United Nations Security Council it is unlikely that the weapons inspectors would have returned to Iraq in the autumn of 2002 and recommenced the important but slow steps towards the enforcement of UN Resolutions on Iraqi disarmament. I welcome Tony Blair's commitment to taking forward implementation of UN resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian situation as well as those on Iraq. The January conference in London, which went ahead despite the attempts by the Israeli government to prevent it, is one sign of this as is acceptance of “road map” for the future of Palestine and Israel.

In November 2002 in Parliament I voted that there should be no military action without a specific vote in the Security Council and in our own Parliament to approve it. On 23rd February in a vote in the House of Commons I signed and supported the amendment put down by Labour's Rt Hon. Chris Smith MP and backed by 199 MPs saying that we believed that the case for military action had not yet been proved.

I welcome the fact that the Prime Minister honoured the commitment to a vote in Parliament on 18th March on military action. However, because I believe that the weapons inspectors should have been given longer to carry out their task and because there had been no specific vote in the UN, I signed and voted for the proposal put down once again by Chris Smith and moved by Labour MP Peter Kilfoyle that the case for war against Iraq has not yet been established.

I have made my own position clear in the House of Commons in supporting a number of Early Day Motions over the last year -

HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAQ 28.02.02

That this House strongly condemns the continuing grave and widespread human rights abuses carried out by members of the current regime in Iraq; demands an immediate end to the mass executions of political detainees in the regime's prisons, to summary and arbitrary executions, disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention, to torture and rape by officials, and to all forms of intimidation and threats against Iraqi opponents living abroad and members of their families inside Iraq; and calls on the Iraqi regime to accept the stationing of UN human rights monitors in the country immediately to ensure that the human rights of the Iraqi people are respected; welcomes the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur in February; and calls on the UN and the UK Government to ensure that the visit leads to real progress in the field of human rights in Iraq.

MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ 04.03.02

That this House is aware of the deep unease among honourable Members on all sides of the House at the prospect that Her Majesty's Government might support United States military action against Iraq; agrees with Kofi Annan that a further military attack on Iraq would be unwise at this time; believes that such a course of action would disrupt support for the anti-terrorism coalition among the Arab states; and instead urges the Prime Minister to use Britain's influence with Iraq to gain agreement that United Nations weapons inspections will resume

UNITED NATIONS MANDATE AND MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ 07.03.02

That this House believes that any international offensive military action against Iraq can only be morally justified if it carries a new and specific mandate from the United National Security Council

USA AND IRAQ 15.07.02

That this House notes the suggestion of Mikhail Gorbachev, at a meeting with parliamentarians on 10th July, that the United States and Iraq should attempt to resolve their differences by direct discussions between representatives of both their countries rather than resort to war; and considers that the United Kingdom Government should adopt this proposal as its official policy and that an offer of a venue in London for such talks should be made to both sides.

UNITED NATIONS ACTION ON IRAQ 24.09.02

That this House endorsed the Prime Minister's commitment to seeking a new UN resolution and mandate to enforce the process of inspecting and disabling any Iraqi weapons of mass destruction; recognises that Iraq has indicated that it will comply with existing UN resolutions; notes that Hans Blix has indicated that weapons inspectors could be ready to enter Iraq early in October and believes that no military action should be taken while arrangements are being made for this to take place; further believes that in the event of Iraq's failure to cooperate with the UN inspectors that no military action be taken without a mandate from the UN and a vote in the House; expresses continuing concern about the wider implications of any military action not specifically approved by the UN; and urges maximum effort towards the renewal of the Middle East peace process as an essential precondition towards stability and peace in the region.

PARLIAMENT AND IRAQ 11.02.03

That this House notes that it has not approved any military action against Iraq; believes that any such action should require prior approval by a vote in this House and not rely on prerogative power alone; does not accept in this case that such a vote would in any way compromise our armed forces; and demands an unequivocal confirmation that such a vote will be held.

That this House does not believe that British forces should be required to participate in a war against Iraq unless all of the following conditions are met (a) that there is clear evidence that Iraq poses an imminent threat to peace, (b) that there is a substantive motion of this House authorising military action, (c) that there is an express resolution of the Security Council of the United Nations authorising the use of military force against Iraq and (d) that all other policy options have been exhausted.