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Tories seek Iraq war inquiry vote Tories push for Iraq war inquiry
(about 2 hours later)
The Tories have launched a fresh attempt to force the government into holding an inquiry into the Iraq war.The Tories have launched a fresh attempt to force the government into holding an inquiry into the Iraq war.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said there will be an inquiry "when it is appropriate" but to hold one now would be a diversion for UK troops. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said there will be an inquiry when it is appropriate, but to hold one now would be a diversion for UK troops.
But Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague says "now is the right time" to hold one, otherwise files and e-mails may disappear and "memories will fade". But Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague says "now is the right time" for a probe, before files and e-mails disappear and memories fade.
MPs are debating a Tory motion calling for an independent inquiry.MPs are debating a Tory motion calling for an independent inquiry.
The Conservatives are using the fifth anniversary of the start of the war and their opposition-led debate to step up pressure on Mr Brown to hold a probe.The Conservatives are using the fifth anniversary of the start of the war and their opposition-led debate to step up pressure on Mr Brown to hold a probe.
Unless an inquiry begins pretty soon, I think memories will fade, files will disappear and emails will be erased William HagueShadow foreign secretary Q&A: Iraq War inquiries
Opening the debate, Mr Hague told MPs the government would have no choice but to hold an inquiry if they voted for one.Opening the debate, Mr Hague told MPs the government would have no choice but to hold an inquiry if they voted for one.
He said he did not regret voting for the US-led invasion in 2003 - but it was "vital" to learn "all possible lessons" from the decisions that led to war and the failures in post war planning.He said he did not regret voting for the US-led invasion in 2003 - but it was "vital" to learn "all possible lessons" from the decisions that led to war and the failures in post war planning.
There is agreement that an inquiry into the Iraq war will be necessary - the dispute between us does not concern substance but timing David MilibandForeign Secretary Q&A: Iraq War inquiries
And as it was now "six or seven years" since the key decisions were made, an inquiry was needed now before memories fade.And as it was now "six or seven years" since the key decisions were made, an inquiry was needed now before memories fade.
He rejected claims an inquiry would divert attention from the rebuilding of Iraq as "ludicrous". He rejected claims that an inquiry would divert attention from the rebuilding of Iraq as "ludicrous".
He also rejected the government's argument that it would be a diversion for UK troops in Iraq. He also rejected the government's argument that it would damage the position of UK troops in Iraq.
'Isolated voices''Isolated voices'
Mr Hague told MPs: "The truth is that the case for commencing an inquiry of the type or of a similar type to the one we are calling for today has become overwhelming.Mr Hague told MPs: "The truth is that the case for commencing an inquiry of the type or of a similar type to the one we are calling for today has become overwhelming.
"If ministers continue to argue against it they will be isolated voices, holding out against a preponderance of national opinion which embraces every other party and many members of their own."If ministers continue to argue against it they will be isolated voices, holding out against a preponderance of national opinion which embraces every other party and many members of their own.
"They may be unwilling to embark on something which of course would add to the duties of some of them, but they should not shirk this task because it seems unpleasant, and they should remember that if this inquiry is not established by this administration, it most surely will be by the next one."They may be unwilling to embark on something which of course would add to the duties of some of them, but they should not shirk this task because it seems unpleasant, and they should remember that if this inquiry is not established by this administration, it most surely will be by the next one.
"They may be unwilling to act at the behest of the Conservative Party, or the Liberal Democrats, or even of the Fabian Society, but if so, they should go away from this debate and come back in a short time with their own considered proposals."They may be unwilling to act at the behest of the Conservative Party, or the Liberal Democrats, or even of the Fabian Society, but if so, they should go away from this debate and come back in a short time with their own considered proposals.
"Not to do so would be an error of policy, as well as of politics, and not to do so would be to frustrate the wishes not of any one party or faction, but of the British people as a whole.""Not to do so would be an error of policy, as well as of politics, and not to do so would be to frustrate the wishes not of any one party or faction, but of the British people as a whole."
'Get on with it' 'Mission not accomplished'
A Conservative call for a full inquiry was defeated in the Commons last June by 288 votes to 253, with the government's majority nearly halved. Foreign Secretary David Miliband insisted that an inquiry would be necessary, but not until British troops had finished their work in Iraq.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw has said the prime minister had already made it clear that the right time to hold a probe was not now. He said: "There is agreement that an inquiry into the Iraq war will be necessary. The dispute between us does not concern substance but timing."
"What is more important even than an inquiry is that the troops who are on the ground - there are still 4,100 British troops in harms in Iraq - should not themselves be distracted by what would inevitably and understandably be a very significant argument about whether it is right or wrong for them to be present," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said "most people would see that as a bizarre choice of priority now" given current events in Basra, where the remaining British troops in Iraq are stationed.
On the very acute issue which was the intelligence failure, there has already been a very substantial inquiry into that Jack StrawJustice Secretary He added: "The war itself went better than most people expected but the building of the peace afterwards has gone much worse than people expected.
He said he was "astonished" to hear Mr Hague's claims that files would disappear. "The mission has not yet been accomplished."
"That's a very thin argument. No files are going to disappear. No e-mails are going to be erased. 'Scandal'
"And on the very acute issue which was the intelligence failure, there has already been a very substantial inquiry into that." The Tory motion being debated calls for a full inquiry by an independent committee of privy councillors to be established now.
The Lib Dems, who have also called for a full inquiry into the Iraq war, have tabled an amendment to the Conservative motion calling for Labour and Tory politicians who supported it to apologise. A Liberal Democrat amendment calls for Labour and Tory politicians who backed the invasion to apologise.
'Catastrophe' The government's majority was almost halved to 35 last June when MPs rejected a similar Conservative motion by 288 votes to 253.
They have also produced a poster of Conservative leader David Cameron asking why he was now calling for a probe when his party's then leadership - and 146 of his MPs - supported the invasion in 2003. Edward Davey, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, said his party would vote for the Tory motion later.
Edward Davey, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman, dismissed suggestions that his party's call was a stunt, arguing that an apology from MPs who backed the war would regain trust with the electorate. But he said the Tories would stand a better chance of winning if they admitted regret for voting for the war in the first place.
"One of the other major damages of the whole Iraq catastrophe was that it undermined public trust and confidence in Parliament and the government of the day," he told Today. Mr Davey said "we owe an inquiry to the people who have died" in Iraq and delaying it was "nothing short of a scandal".
"And one of the purposes of an inquiry is to regain that trust, rebuild that trust - absolutely essential - and I think part of that rebuilding of confidence and trust requires politicians to actually say, 'yeah, we got it wrong'."