Burns Lets Blair Off Hook - Robinson

1.44.10am GMT Sun 12th Dec 2004

Lib Dems - The only real opposition

Last week, West Chelmsford's MP helped Tony Blair avoid accountability over the Iraq war. Mr Burns joined with the Labour Government to vote down a Lib Dem proposal for an investigation into prime ministerial powers.

West Chelmsford Lib Dem candidate Stephen Robinson said, "Tony Blair consistently failed to provide MPs with reliable information before the Iraq war. Liberal Democrats in Parliament made a proposal to review the sweeping powers of the British Prime Minister on questions of war but Mr Burns let Mr Blair off the hook by voting down the Lib Dem proposal. Prime Ministers should be accountable to the House of Commons. It looks as if Mr Burns does not think so."

NOTE

Neither the Hutton or the Butler inquiries examined the full advice given to the Prime Minister before the war, nor the Prime Minister's actions in the light of that advice. The Lib Dems are calling for Parliament to have the powers to investigate these areas fully, to properly hold the Prime Minister to account - on Iraq, and whenever constitutional matters of war and peace are at stake.

The Lib Dem amendment proposed a special committee of MPs to look into this. In a later vote the Lib Dems and Conservatives both voted against the motion to approve the Government's programme as set out in the Queen's Speech.

THE LIB DEM AMENDMENT:

This House regrets that the Queen's Speech "contains no commitment to introduce legislation to clarify the responsibility of the Prime Minister to Parliament, particularly in relation to the prerogative powers and the role of Parliament in matters of war and peace; and calls for a special Select Committee of the House to consider these matters." (Lib Dem amendment to Queen's Speech motion, voted on 01/12/04)