Iraq Invasion Legal Opinion And Government Advisers

EDM number 982 in 2004-05, proposed by Llew Smith on 22/03/2005.

That this House notes that Sir Stephen Wall, who was appointed by the Prime Minister as European Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister in June 2000, told the BBC Panorama programme "Iraq, Tony and the Truth" on the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, broadcast on 20th March, that in respect of the legality of the invasion,`We stretched the legal argument to breaking point in my view and the fact that we didn't have that authority, I think does set a dangerous precedent'; further notes that he added, `I regret that I didn't speak my mind to Tony Blair on it'; agrees with Sir Stephen's conclusions that going to war is about the most serious thing that can be done in international affairs and `that if people's lives are to be put at risk apart from the civilians in the country being attacked, it does have to be the last resort and you do actually need some international authority to do it'; believes Sir Stephen's career curriculum vitae including posts as Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary from 1988 to 1990 and to the Prime Minister from 1991 to 1993, and heading the Foreign Office EU Department between 1983 and 1988, demonstrates the esteem with which his wise counsel was appreciated by senior Ministers across several governments; and therefore calls on the Prime Minister to release the full legal opinion prepared by the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, on the legality or otherwise of taking military action against Iraq in March 2003.

This motion has been signed by a total of 18 MPs.