John McDonnell
John Redwood's interventions in the war on Iraq debate
Mr. John Redwood (Wokingham): Today has shown how important it was thatParliament was recalled. It has enabled the Prime Minister and ForeignSecretary to set out their case with great clarity to a sceptical House. Howmuch progress have the US and UK Governments made in bringing together amighty coalition of the western democracies and the Arab states? Does he notagree that the more members of the coalition there are the better toincrease the pressure and the chances of a favourable outcome?Mr. Straw: We have devoted a great deal of work to that and I am grateful tothe right hon. Gentleman for his question. While I was at the United NationsGeneral Assembly last week for a week, as was Secretary of State ColinPowell, we both met a large number of Foreign Ministers from Arab andIslamic states to discuss, among many other things, the threat posed byIraq. Not one of the Foreign Ministers to whom I spoke has anything butcontempt for and concern about the Iraqi regime, and they are, above all,praying that the action that we all hope and believe that the internationalcommunity will now take, will relieve the region of the threat posed by theweapons of mass destruction that Saddam has.
Mr. Redwood: Given the importance of producing the strongest possiblecoalition against that evil regime, what advice would my right hon. Friendoffer the Prime Minister for his forthcoming discussions with the GermanChancellor, who seems to be undermining the attempt to put pressure on Iraq?
Mr. Ancram: I hope that when the Prime Minister meets the German Chancellor,he will show leadership and suggest to him that he was wrong in the stancethat he took in his campaign. The Prime Minister might also remind theChancellor of the German Republic that, if he is serious about a commonforeign and security policy, what we have heard from him over the past fewweeks is the complete antithesis of that.
