New calls for Blair’s impeachment
MPs are repeating their demands for the Prime Minister to answer to the House of Commons over the Iraq war.
The group of rebels MPs have formulated a motion calling for Tony Blair to appear before a special select committee – overseen by a panel of law lords – to review whether an ancient parliamentary device could be wielded to bring impeachment proceedings against him on the grounds of “gross misconduct”.
On August 26th, Adam Price, Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East, launched a campaign to impeach Mr Blair for “high crimes and misdemeanours” over the 2003 Iraq war.
Mr Price says his lawyers believe he has a case to charge Mr Blair with embracing “a deliberate policy of deception”, deceiving MPs and the public alike, despite “compelling evidence” that Saddam Hussein lacked weapons of mass destruction.
Some 23 MPs have already added their names to a draft motion calling for an inquiry. Mr Price expects 30 to 50 MPs to support it.
The Independent on Sunday says the motion calls for a committee to assess Mr Blair’s conduct.
The motion says the committee should review the conclusions of the Iraq Survey Group on Saddam’s alleged WMD arsenal and the claim by UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, that the war was “illegal”.
Michael Martin, the Commons speaker, will scrutinise the motion later this month over its suitability for debate by MPs.
Should he judge it right to table the motion and if a majority of MPs vote in favour of it, a committee will gather to assess the charges one by one.
Mr Blair is unlikely to lose an impeachment vote but the act itself would be hugely embarrassing for a government that wants to focus in domestic issues ahead of the next general election.
The law was last invoked against Lord Palmerston, who was accused of signing a secret treaty with Russia in 1848.
Former Conservative Party Minister Douglas Hogg has been at the forefront of drafting the motion.
Mr Hogg told the newspaper: “We have discussed the wording of the motion with the House authorities and we believe that it is in a form in which it can be properly placed on the order paper.
“This is a significant move forward in our attempt to bring the Prime Minster to account for his duplicitous action with regards to Iraq.”
Downing Street says Mr Blair has nothing to answer for as four separate inquiries have already exonerated him of any wrongdoing.
The text of the draft motion reads:
“That a select committee of not more than 13 members be appointed to investigate and to report to the house on the conduct of the Prime Minister in relation to the war against Iraq and to consider;
“(a) the conclusion of the Iraq Survey Group that in March 2003 Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction and had been essentially free of them since the mid-1990s;
“(b) the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that he was wrong when he asserted that Iraq was then in possession of chemical or biological weapons or was then engaged in active efforts to develop nuclear weapons or was thereby a current or serious threat to the UK national interest or that possession of WMD then enabled Iraq to inflict real damage upon the region and the stability of the world;
“(c) the opinion of the Secretary-General of the United Nations that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was unlawful;
“(d) whether there exist sufficient grounds to impeach the Rt Hon Tony Blair on charges of gross misconduct in his advocacy of the case for war against Iraq and in his conduct of policy in connection with that war.
“That the committee shall within 48 days of its appointment report to this house such resolutions, articles of impeachment or other recommendations as it shall think fit.”
