Iraq Inquiry

Part of Opposition Day — [14th allotted day] – in the House of Commons at 5:50 pm on 24 June 2009.

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Photo of John Martin McDonnell John Martin McDonnell Labour, Hayes and Harlington 5:50, 24 June 2009

It is as my hon. Friend says. I do not think that the Prime Minister and others around him have understood the importance of the issue, in terms of clearing the decks for this Government or any future Government. If we cannot address the central question of whether the House and the country were misled by individuals, so that we can expose what went on, learn the lessons and move forward, we will not have cleaned the record of this Government, or be able, as a Government, to make such consequential decisions about life and death in future.

That is why I urge the Government tonight to hang up the guns at the door of the saloon. Let us get out of the trenches tonight and start talking about what the real needs of the country are. The real need is for honesty. To be frank, I follow what was said by Mr. Galloway. We need an inquiry that brings forward the truth, no matter what the consequences. Many of my constituents feel that there has been a war crime; they feel that there was an act of criminality involved. If there are consequences that lead to our own Nuremburg or to The Hague or whatever, let us at least explain to our people that we recognise that possibility, and we are willing to examine the issue, no matter what the consequences.

The subject that we are debating is, as other speakers have said, fundamental to the standing of Parliament. If we are to restore credibility, this is one of the key issues that we must address.