UK Government avoids defeat in Commons Iraq war inquiry vote » Central Government » 24dash.com

The UK Government tonight saw off an attempt by the opposition parties to force an inquiry into the Iraq war.

At the end of a highly charged Commons debate, a motion tabled by the Scottish and Welsh nationalists calling for a wide-ranging review of the Government's conduct was defeated by 298 votes to 273 votes - a majority of 25.

There were angry scenes in the Commons chamber as the Tories - who supported the war - joined the other opposition parties in voting for an inquiry.

However with fewer than 20 Labour rebels thought to have voted against the Government, ministers were able to avoid defeat.

Many Labour MPs critical of the war were nevertheless unwilling to join the Conservatives in what they regarded as an opportunistic attempt to embarrass the Government.

Closing the debate, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram bitterly attacked the Tories for allying themselves with the nationalists who, he said, were seeking to "undermine" the United Kingdom.

"What they want is a show trial for narrow political ends. It is not about establishing new facts or new evidence," he said.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett warned that a defeat for the Government would undermine British troops and send a dangerous signal to the insurgents.

"What happens in this House today will be heard and not only by those in Iraq, the people and the government, but also will be heard by those whose intention it is to do us harm, whether it be in Iraq or beyond," she said.

"I ask the House whether it is the time to send a signal which many will undoubtedly, and every Member in this House knows this in their heart to be true, interpret as a signal which is a weakening of our commitment."

For the Tories, shadow foreign secretary William Hague dismissed the claim that British forces would be undermined.

"The British Army is both tougher and more thoughtful than that and its operations should not be used as an excuse to avoid examining any of our political processes and judgments," he said.

He said he was not arguing for an inquiry now, but at the "appropriate time" and urged Tory MPs to back the nationalists' motion.

"The case for a searching inquiry at the right time is sufficiently strong that the Government should have no problem in acceding to it and I am astonished that they are not able to do so," he said.

Opening the debate for the nationalists, Plaid Cymru's Adam Price branded the war a "monumental catastrophe" and the "worst foreign policy disaster since Suez".

"The Government's policy has been characterised by a cocktail of wishful thinking, self-delusion and evasion.

"The sequence of events which led us to commit our armed forces to a war that was illegal and unnecessary is at yet unexplained. The strategy for removing them remains unpublished."

Angus MacNeil (SNP Na h-Eileanan an Iar), one of the sponsors of the debate, said after the vote: "The Government whips applied the thumbscrews. There is clear unrest in the House of Commons about this issue.

"It is unacceptable that there has been no Commons debate on this issue for three years, and if it had not been for us and Plaid Cymru there would have been no debate today."

Adam Price (Plaid Cymru Carmarthen East and Dinefwr), who moved the motion, said afterwards: "This was one of the worst speeches by a serving Foreign Secretary in living memory. It was a resignation speech.

"We have slashed the Government's majority by two-thirds which demonstrates that their policy is unsustainable. The date for the quitting of the Prime Minister has to be sooner rather than later now."

Analysis of the division list later showed that 12 Labour MPs voted against the Government.

Defence Secretary Des Browne launched a fresh attack on the Conservatives for voting with the nationalists.

"It is a very bad piece of misjudgment on their part and I am absolutely certain that they will pay for that," he told BBC News 24.

He acknowledged, however, that some form of inquiry would be held once the situation in Iraq allowed.

"Margaret Beckett, when she opened this debate for the Government, indicated that there would be a time for that sort of retrospective inquiry but it is not now. When the time is right, of course there will be such an inquiry," he said.

Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats said that they would continue to keep up the pressure.

Mr Hague said: "The very clear message from today's debate and vote was that the Government cannot resist indefinitely holding an inquiry at the appropriate time.

"Today has served to push the Government in the right direction and to hold an inquiry in due course."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: "The Government was on the defensive throughout. Ministers were unconvincing and their backbenchers unconvinced.

"There is deep unease about Iraq in the House of Commons, which the Prime Minister ignores at his peril."

Copyright Press Association 2006.