Skip to main content

Proceeding contribution from Khalid Mahmood (Labour) in the House of Commons on Monday, 11 June 2007. It occurred during Opposition day on Iraq Inquiry.


Iraq Inquiry

I should like to express my concerns about this issue. I have great regard for the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) and, given his intellect and ability, for which I also have had a very high regard, I am somewhat amazed that he has again brought such a motion to this place. The issue of an inquiry is very important. When there was a vote on that here, I did not vote for it. The right hon. Gentleman says that the Government cited propositions concerning national security and so on, and he took that advice, as did his colleagues, and voted in a particular way. Until then, during my time on the Government Benches I had only once previously voted against my Government. I took that very seriously. In considering a motion such as this, it is important to determine whether it will really address and move forward the matter at hand, which is the number of lives that are being lost—not only among our armed forces and those of the Americans, but among Iraqis. Would such an inquiry deal with that? What would be its terms of reference and how would they be set? We have had four other inquiries. Every Member can pick holes in those inquiries because not one of us has been pleased by their outcomes. Would we get the result that we want in this case?


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
461 c556-7 
Session
2006-07
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Armed forces Deployment Inquiries Intelligence services Iraq Foreign policy Security Military intelligence
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk