View From The House - 28th March 2002

Reprinted From The Lichfield Mercury

Activities in the House of Commons over the last week or so have given an interesting insight into the priorities of the Blair Government. Though, in fairness, I have to say that many Labour backbench MPs do not share Tony Blair's ideas on how a modern democracy should be conducted.

The defence secretary arrived to make a brief statement that he is to send 1,700 Royal Marines to fight in Afghanistan alongside American forces. And that was that. This is the largest deployment of British troops since the Gulf War and the first real military engagement since then. Previous engagements have been mainly of the peace-keeping variety. The Gulf War, The Falklands Conflict and others have all demanded a full scale debate in the House of Commons. It was only when Opposition Conservative MPs appealed to the Speaker that a debate was forced on the Government. And even then, the Government used a manoeuvre which prevented a vote at the end of the debate on whether to send British boys to war. Now, as it happens, I happen to believe that the Government is right to deploy Four-Five Commando Brigade in this action. But the Government is wrong to abuse the House of Commons and 659 democratically elected MPs by denying a debate and then, when it is forced on the Government, denying MPs a vote.

Meanwhile both street crime and the wait to enter hospital are rising. But the Prime Minister decides that Parliament should address the vexed question of fox hunting instead. As your local MP, I do understand that this is an emotive and important issue. I receive letters about hunting - both for and against - most months. But every week I receive letters from constituents whose operations have been cancelled, who have been burgled or had property vandalised, or who believe that education is inadequately funded. I think these are national priorities too. So to me, changing the business in the House of Commons and the Lords to rush through votes on hunting seemed irrelevant. And now the Government has put the whole matter on hold for 6 months demonstrating, yet again, that this was but gesture politics. Why seek the will of Parliament so urgently and then ignore it? I suspect that the Government shares my view: fox hunting should not continue as at present, but strictly controlled and licensed hunting is a far less cruel alternative to other forms of fox population control. So why did we have the debate displacing more urgent matters?

Meanwhile Tony Blair has returned from the EU Summit in Barcelona and boasted in Parliament that he was "in there influencing the European Union". For months now he has been 'influencing' France with the need to stop the illegal ban on British beef imports and 'influencing' them to tighten security around the Channel Tunnel. He has also been 'influencing' Spain over negotiations on Gibraltar.

France still maintains an illegal ban on British beef. France still only has 15 policemen guarding the channel port against hundreds of illegal asylum seekers - things have got so bad, the Channel Tunnel has been blocked to any freight exports from the UK. And now Gibraltar is about to be handed over to Spain.

This is like Tony Blair's negotiations with the IRA. He said that convicted terrorists and murderers would be released as IRA arms were destroyed. He said that only when the last gun was decommissioned would the last terrorist be released. The reality? Every prisoner was released before any arms were decommissioned. And now Gerry Adams is allowed to strut around the Palace of Westminster.