Blair risks humiliating defeat as opponents demand Iraq inquiry

Even Thatcher agreed to an enquiry after the war in the Falklands. However, Blair has refused to allow any kind of enquiry into the lead up to the Iraq war claiming that the Hutton Inquiry into the death of government adviser David Kelly, and the Butler Inquiry into the pre-war intelligence were enough.

It is simply extraordinary that Britain has joined the US in invading another sovereign nation - without a UN mandate - in order to find weapons that did not exist and that no enquiry has ever been held into the events that led us to that point.

SNP and Plaid Cymru are putting forward a motion today which reads:

"That this House believes that there should be a select committee of seven honourable Members, being members of Her Majesty's Privy Council, to review the way in which the responsibilities of government were discharged in relation to Iraq and all matters relevant thereto, in the period leading up to military action in that country in March 2003 and in its aftermath."

Blair is mobilising his forces to oppose this motion claiming:

"We have troops who are operating in the field of combat. We have an enemy who is looking for any sign of weakness at all, any sign of a loss of resolution or determination. The important thing is that we do not give any signal that we are anything less than fully determined to see the job through."

This is plainly a load of old baloney.

Both of the previous enquiries studiously avoided looking into how the pre-war intelligence was handled politically. And Hutton's enquiry especially revealed a dreadful amount of government interference in the intelligence community in order to "sex up" the findings and make war inevitable, even if Hutton backed off from making the conclusion that the evidence he had heard implied. A decision which led to wide calls of whitewash.

And the Butler Inquiry's remit did not extend to an examination of the political decision making process.

However, Blair is determined that he should not have to answer questions about the many things that have come to light since the Butler Enquiry and the enquiry into the death of David Kelly. He does not want to have to answer questions relating to the Downing Street Memo and many other things which will cast serious doubts on his reasoning for employing British troops in the way that he has done.

So now, he pretends that it is his concern for the troops themselves that stops him from allowing an enquiry into the fact that he placed British troops in harm's way on evidence that was false at best and manufactured to suit a previously established American motive at worst.

However, there is a slim chance that he might lose the vote as the Conservatives - who had been expected to abstain - are now threatening to vote against the government.

Their change of heart raises the prospect of Labour's working majority of 67 being wiped out if between 30 and 40 rebel MPs oppose the Government.

One Labour left-winger predicted that as many as 45 Labour MPs could join the opposition lobbies. He said: "We think this is going to be a very close vote. There has to be a full public inquiry into what went wrong and the lies that were told, both to the British public and to MPs."

Defeat for Mr Blair on the centrepiece of his foreign policy would be hugely embarrassing and could reignite dissent in Labour ranks over his leadership.

It is simply scandalous that Blair has been allowed to avoid any kind of enquiry into Britain's worst foreign policy intervention ever. I used to say "since Suez" but the fact of the matter is that the Iraq war is even worse than the Suez intervention.

It is unheard of for a government not to hold an enquiry in order that valuable lessons be learned, however Blair wishes to avoid this as any enquiry into the build up to the Iraq war will reveal just how set on war he was at all costs and just how much the evidence was manipulated in order to bring about that result.

Alex Salmond, the leader of the SNP who are proposing the motion said:

"If the motion were to be carried, the Prime Minister's tenure in office would be measured in hours and days ... but even if the Government wins it by a narrow margin - which I think is the reality - then he would be in a Neville Chamberlain situation where you win the battle but lose the war.

"This is an opportunity for the House of Commons to bring to account a government which has led us into this bloody quagmire."

It is an opportunity that I believe the house should take, although I am doubtful that they will.

Labour MP's will scurry around their leader whilst pretending that their main concern is the welfare of British troops who they voted to send into battle when it was not necessary for them to do so.

Today's debate will be the first time the government has allowed any debate on the subject of the Iraq war for the past two years. That fact alone is scandalous.

Michael Moore, foreign affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, called on the Government to follow the lead of the White House, which has established the Baker review into the situation in Iraq. "This is an important debate which ought to be the starting point for government accountability on Iraq," he said. "It is unacceptable that the Government has not allotted time to debate this important issue for over two years and that we have had to rely on an opposition day debate before MPs can discuss this in Parliament."

Blair may sneak off the hook yet again today, although I sincerely hope that he does not. He deserves to be held accountable for what he has done and to be driven from office on a wave of shame.

Eden, at least, had the dignity to resign after Suez. Blair apparently lacks even the wherewithal to realise the size of the calamity he has perpetrated, and certainly the honesty to appreciate his own role that disaster.

The House has an opportunity today to bring Blair face to face with what he has done. I hope the House takes it.

I doubt they will though.

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tag: Iraq, Blair, UK, illegality, enquiry, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Falklands war, Hutton, David Kelly, war,