This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lib-dems-unlike-labour-and-the-tories-we-opposed-the-iraq-war-9993709.html
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Chilcot delay: Everyone wants the report published - but no one knows when | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Labour and the Conservatives were accused of presiding over an Establishment stitch-up yesterday after the six-year inquiry into the Iraq war was delayed until after the May general election. | Labour and the Conservatives were accused of presiding over an Establishment stitch-up yesterday after the six-year inquiry into the Iraq war was delayed until after the May general election. |
| The Liberal Democrats, the only of the three main parties to oppose the Iraq War, cried foul today after the six-year inquiry into the conflict was delayed until after the May general election. | The Liberal Democrats, the only of the three main parties to oppose the Iraq War, cried foul today after the six-year inquiry into the conflict was delayed until after the May general election. |
| With opinion polls predicting heavy losses for the Lib Dems, the party’s leaders are furious at being denied a chance to remind voters of their strong opposition to the disastrous 2003 war in Iraq. | With opinion polls predicting heavy losses for the Lib Dems, the party’s leaders are furious at being denied a chance to remind voters of their strong opposition to the disastrous 2003 war in Iraq. |
| A senior Lib Dem source told The Independent: “Despite all their bluster, it suits both Labour and the Tories down to the ground for the Chilcot inquiry to be delayed until after the election. Neither party will want to be reminded of their full-throated support of the unjustifiable and illegal war in Iraq.” | A senior Lib Dem source told The Independent: “Despite all their bluster, it suits both Labour and the Tories down to the ground for the Chilcot inquiry to be delayed until after the election. Neither party will want to be reminded of their full-throated support of the unjustifiable and illegal war in Iraq.” |
| Although the Conservatives and Labour denied any collusion over Sir John Chilcot’s report, a special “channel of communication” was used by senior aides of David Cameron and Ed Miliband to explore potential “common ground” over its publication. The inquiry was entirely a matter for Sir John, but Downing Street might have had to decide when to publish if it had been delivered before May. | Although the Conservatives and Labour denied any collusion over Sir John Chilcot’s report, a special “channel of communication” was used by senior aides of David Cameron and Ed Miliband to explore potential “common ground” over its publication. The inquiry was entirely a matter for Sir John, but Downing Street might have had to decide when to publish if it had been delivered before May. |
| A senior Whitehall source said: “There is no suggestion that attempts were made to look at how this report could be blocked or stalled. That didn’t happen. But discussions did take place which explored how the timing of publication could be handled.” Senior Labour and Tory MPs accept that the eight-month “line of communication” explored the likely “political fallout” from Chilcot but went no further. | A senior Whitehall source said: “There is no suggestion that attempts were made to look at how this report could be blocked or stalled. That didn’t happen. But discussions did take place which explored how the timing of publication could be handled.” Senior Labour and Tory MPs accept that the eight-month “line of communication” explored the likely “political fallout” from Chilcot but went no further. |
| Former Home Office minister Norman Baker (Charlie-Forgham-Bailey) Norman Baker, the Lib Dem former Home Office minister, said: “Now we find out that for months David Cameron has been part of an unholy alliance between the two old establishment parties who want to spin Chilcot to their advantage. It is extremely odd that when we have a Tory-Lib Dem coalition government, we have the Tories going round the back of their government partners to stitch up an unsavoury deal with the opposition. It seems the sort of behaviour that Chilcot has been looking at in 2003, is evidently not dead today.” | Former Home Office minister Norman Baker (Charlie-Forgham-Bailey) Norman Baker, the Lib Dem former Home Office minister, said: “Now we find out that for months David Cameron has been part of an unholy alliance between the two old establishment parties who want to spin Chilcot to their advantage. It is extremely odd that when we have a Tory-Lib Dem coalition government, we have the Tories going round the back of their government partners to stitch up an unsavoury deal with the opposition. It seems the sort of behaviour that Chilcot has been looking at in 2003, is evidently not dead today.” |
| Tim Farron, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, said there was a real danger the public would assume the report was being “sexed down” by people answering criticisms put to them by the inquiry. Writing for The Independent, he said it would be 17 years after the Iraq invasion – at the 2020 general election - before the public could make a fully informed decision on the war. He said: “The legacy of the Iraqi conflict is Britain’s legacy too. Our country is less safe, less secure and less trusted in the Middle East because of it.” | Tim Farron, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, said there was a real danger the public would assume the report was being “sexed down” by people answering criticisms put to them by the inquiry. Writing for The Independent, he said it would be 17 years after the Iraq invasion – at the 2020 general election - before the public could make a fully informed decision on the war. He said: “The legacy of the Iraqi conflict is Britain’s legacy too. Our country is less safe, less secure and less trusted in the Middle East because of it.” |
| Rose Gentle, whose 19-year-old son Gordon was one of 179 British troops killed while serving in Iraq, said she felt “disgusted” and “let down” by the delay, and believed the report would be a “total whitewash”. | Rose Gentle, whose 19-year-old son Gordon was one of 179 British troops killed while serving in Iraq, said she felt “disgusted” and “let down” by the delay, and believed the report would be a “total whitewash”. |
| John Chilcot announcing the terms of his inquiry into the causes of the Iraq war, in 2009 (Getty) Angry MPs from all parties turned their fire on Sir John, the former senior civil servant heading the inquiry, which has already cost more than £9m. | John Chilcot announcing the terms of his inquiry into the causes of the Iraq war, in 2009 (Getty) Angry MPs from all parties turned their fire on Sir John, the former senior civil servant heading the inquiry, which has already cost more than £9m. |
| Senior Whitehall officials denied kicking the report into the post-election grass, insisting they wanted to see it published to avoid such allegations. One source said: “The main cause is that the inquiry has run out of steam. The word is that it can’t make up its mind what to say. It wants to make an impact after six years. But there are doubts about whether it has really got anything new to say.” | Senior Whitehall officials denied kicking the report into the post-election grass, insisting they wanted to see it published to avoid such allegations. One source said: “The main cause is that the inquiry has run out of steam. The word is that it can’t make up its mind what to say. It wants to make an impact after six years. But there are doubts about whether it has really got anything new to say.” |
| Tony Blair is widely expected to be criticised when the report is finally published. Allies say he is “deeply frustrated” by the delay, and he angrily rejected suggestions he might have caused it. | Tony Blair is widely expected to be criticised when the report is finally published. Allies say he is “deeply frustrated” by the delay, and he angrily rejected suggestions he might have caused it. |
| Tony Blair meets troops during a visit to Basra in 2004 (Getty) Sir John told Mr Cameron in a letter there was “no realistic prospect” of delivering his report before the election because he had not yet received and evaluated responses from witnesses sent draft sections criticising them. He could not say how long this would take. | Tony Blair meets troops during a visit to Basra in 2004 (Getty) Sir John told Mr Cameron in a letter there was “no realistic prospect” of delivering his report before the election because he had not yet received and evaluated responses from witnesses sent draft sections criticising them. He could not say how long this would take. |
| Sir John announced that 29 of Mr Blair’s notes to the then US President George Bush would be published alongside the report, with only “a small number of essential redactions.” But the Bush replies will not be disclosed. | Sir John announced that 29 of Mr Blair’s notes to the then US President George Bush would be published alongside the report, with only “a small number of essential redactions.” But the Bush replies will not be disclosed. |
| Mr Blair’s office said: “Sir John’s letter makes reference to notes and records concerning Mr Blair, which some may interpret as an implicit suggestion that Mr Blair caused the delay. This is not true. On the contrary, he regrets this delay in its publication.” | Mr Blair’s office said: “Sir John’s letter makes reference to notes and records concerning Mr Blair, which some may interpret as an implicit suggestion that Mr Blair caused the delay. This is not true. On the contrary, he regrets this delay in its publication.” |
| Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Blair rejected claims that the Iraq war fuelled Islamist extremism. A member of his audience told him: “I think you have a great responsibility for the conflicts we have now.” The former Prime Minister replied: “My view is you can debate the political decisions, but at some point we have got to understand this extremism has grown up over a long period of time, over decades, its roots are deep within a perversion of the religion of Islam.” | Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Blair rejected claims that the Iraq war fuelled Islamist extremism. A member of his audience told him: “I think you have a great responsibility for the conflicts we have now.” The former Prime Minister replied: “My view is you can debate the political decisions, but at some point we have got to understand this extremism has grown up over a long period of time, over decades, its roots are deep within a perversion of the religion of Islam.” |
| Mr Cameron told the Commons the delay did not appear to be caused by senior politicians trying to "dodge" criticism, insisting there was "no mystery”. He had hoped the inquiry would report before the election, and blamed Gordon Brown’s Labour Government for not launching it earlier. Mr Miliband, who was not an MP when the 2003 invasion took place and insists he opposed it, said the report should be published “as soon as possible.” Labour insiders said Mr Miliband would have seen its publication before the election as an opportunity to remind voters he is “not Blair.” | Mr Cameron told the Commons the delay did not appear to be caused by senior politicians trying to "dodge" criticism, insisting there was "no mystery”. He had hoped the inquiry would report before the election, and blamed Gordon Brown’s Labour Government for not launching it earlier. Mr Miliband, who was not an MP when the 2003 invasion took place and insists he opposed it, said the report should be published “as soon as possible.” Labour insiders said Mr Miliband would have seen its publication before the election as an opportunity to remind voters he is “not Blair.” |
| Sir Richard Ottaway, Tory chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee which has summoned Sir John to explain the delay, recalled: “The issue in 2009 was whether it would be published in time for the 2010 election, let alone the 2015 election. | |
| The Iraq Inquiry: Six years in the making | |
| The Iraq Inquiry, known informally after its chairman Sir John Chilcot, was announced by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009 to investigate the decisions that led to the UK’s involvement in the Iraq war, its conduct and the aftermath. Mr Brown said the scope of the inquiry was “unprecedented”. | |
| The first hearings took place later that year with the last in February 2011. In November 2011, the inquiry said the report would be delayed by at least six months because of disputes over the release of secret documents. Delays continue while those criticised in the draft respond. | |
| While Lord Hutton’s report into government intelligence about Iraq’s weapons was condemned as a whitewash, the Chilcot report is expected to be more critical. |