Conservatives and Lib Dems Add to Pressure for Timetable
Opposition front benchers to push Gordon Brown for announcement on long-promised inquiry into Iraq war
Gordon Brown will come under intense pressure from Tory and Liberal Democrat front benchers in parliament today to announce the timetable for a full-scale inquiry into the Iraq war.
Both William Hague, shadow foreign secretary, and Edward Davey, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, believe the decision by Britain to pull out its remaining troops by July means ministers have no excuse not to announce a long-promised inquiry.
Tony Blair had originally ruled out any inquiry while troops were still serving in Iraq, a decision endorsed by Gordon Brown. The government's official line as defined by a Downing Street spokesman yesterday was that there would not be an inquiry until "the time is right".
The spokesman said: "As we have set out in the past, we do not believe it would be right to have an inquiry whilst our troops are still engaged in operations in Iraq." But privately ministers believe that an inquiry would now be inevitable as a precedent was set by Lady Thatcher after the Falklands war when she established the Franks inquiry into the causes of the conflict. This inquiry under Lord Franks, a former UK ambassador to Washington, sat in private and took evidence from Thatcher, ministers, defence chiefs, MPs, senior diplomats and the intelligence services. Its report was public.
Hague is backing a similar style inquiry with evidence to be given in private and its findings made public. Hague, who stands by his decision to vote for the invasion, believes a quick inquiry would allow lessons from the conflict to be learned.
Davey, who also wants a quick inquiry, wants a more robust and open public investigation with not all evidence given in private. Some labor backbenchers think an inquiry is long overdue. Tony Wright, chairman of the Commons public administration committee, has already called for a parliamentary commission while the troops are still there. He said yesterday: "There could have been an inquiry much earlier if parliament had used its powers."
Both William Hague, shadow foreign secretary, and Edward Davey, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, believe the decision by Britain to pull out its remaining troops by July means ministers have no excuse not to announce a long-promised inquiry.
Tony Blair had originally ruled out any inquiry while troops were still serving in Iraq, a decision endorsed by Gordon Brown. The government's official line as defined by a Downing Street spokesman yesterday was that there would not be an inquiry until "the time is right".
The spokesman said: "As we have set out in the past, we do not believe it would be right to have an inquiry whilst our troops are still engaged in operations in Iraq." But privately ministers believe that an inquiry would now be inevitable as a precedent was set by Lady Thatcher after the Falklands war when she established the Franks inquiry into the causes of the conflict. This inquiry under Lord Franks, a former UK ambassador to Washington, sat in private and took evidence from Thatcher, ministers, defence chiefs, MPs, senior diplomats and the intelligence services. Its report was public.
Hague is backing a similar style inquiry with evidence to be given in private and its findings made public. Hague, who stands by his decision to vote for the invasion, believes a quick inquiry would allow lessons from the conflict to be learned.
Davey, who also wants a quick inquiry, wants a more robust and open public investigation with not all evidence given in private. Some labor backbenchers think an inquiry is long overdue. Tony Wright, chairman of the Commons public administration committee, has already called for a parliamentary commission while the troops are still there. He said yesterday: "There could have been an inquiry much earlier if parliament had used its powers."
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