10/25/2007

Five years late ...

Labour are to allow MP's to have the final say on whether we should go to war in future, or so said Jack Straw when announcing a set of procedural reforms today.

With the Iraq war still in mind it just strikes me we needed this five years ago. Yes, I am sure that with Tory support (remember the Tories were even more in favour of invading Iraq than Labour was). However, this change might prevent this government from following George Bush on his farewell invasion of Iran.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

How do we define "going to war". Do we need parliamentary approval before a squaddie can pick up his rifle to defend against another Argentine attack on the Falklands? Or would we need it just to mount a counter-invasion? What is a war-like activity? Do we need parliamentary approval for surveillance over foreign territory? Where is the line drawn?

Gavin Whenman said...

But the House of Commons did have a vote on the Iraq intervention?

Nich Starling said...

But it was a vote of no consequence as the decision had already been taken.

Pages