John McDonnell
RT HON JOHN REDWOOD MP 13.04.07WOKINGHAM TIMES
The mess over the sale of stories by sailors and marines detained in Iran was bigger because Parliament was not in session. When the Navy recommended allowing sale of the stories, the Defence Secretary and Number 10 clearly did not concentrate in the way they should if they were going to make a statement about it all immediately to the House of Commons.
Under our system such an important incident as the illegal detention of 15 members of our armed services should automatically warrant a Statement by a senior responsible Minister. If one had been offered straight away, Parliamentary convention dictates that no-one else involved in the armed forces or the MOD should say anything in public before Parliament has been told. If the rules are observed, all media outlets and newspapers have the same opportunity to hear the statement, and to see how the Minister fairs in answering a series of probing and wide ranging questions from MPs. Subsequently Ministers usually make themselves available for further interviews on radio and TV when journalists can carry on where Parliament left off.
If by any chance the government had not offered a statement, the Opposition could have tabled an urgent question which the Speaker would in all probability have granted, requiring the Defence Secretary to come to the House to answer MPs’ questions.
Instead, another one of Parliament’s two week breaks was thought more important by the government than asking us back to do our jobs of holding the government to account, and discussing how the government should respond to the Iranian action. On this occasion the refusal to let Parliament carry out its duty has cost the government dear. Unfortunately it has also done damage to the reputation of our country as well.
The government is mesmerised by the media and by celebrity. Some members of the administration seem to think politics is a kind of instant celebrity show for those who cannot dance and sing. They keep telling us it is so difficult governing these days because we have a 7 by 24 news culture. They need to learn that it is not government’s job to amuse the media constantly around the clock. If they governed well and told Parliament on a regular basis what they were up to they would not need to spend so much of their time and our money spinning away to journalists at all hours of the day and night.
The government reasoned – before it changed its mind – that they had to allow the sailors to tell their story because otherwise it would have leaked out. They were instant celebrities, they told us, so of course like celebrities they should be allowed to sell their recollections. Ministers might as well argue when they make a mistake worthy of the front page of the nationals that they have become instant celebrities and should be able to sell their side of the story to a paper of their choice. Of course they should not. Ministers who make mistakes are meant to come to Parliament, telling the nation at no extra cost above the salaries they are paid to do the job.
We owe a lot to the many members of our armed services who have suffered hardship, wounds and even death in service for the nation. Many do so willingly and do not expect celebrity treatment after a hard day patrolling Basra or fighting the Taliban. If the finest traditions of our armed forces are to be upheld, there is no place for a couple of mariners to sell their story of life in captivity in Iran when the UK and Iran are locked in a propaganda war over what happened and why.
