Guardian: Blair avoids Iraq vote defeat

Tom Happold and Hélène Mulholland in Brighton

Thursday September 30, 2004


Tony Blair avoided an embarrassing defeat today when over 80% of Labour conference delegates rejected a motion calling for the early withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.

A compromise statement agreed by the party's national executive committee (NEC) urging the continued "support of the efforts of the emerging civil society in Iraq" was passed in its place.

Party managers, alarmed by the prospect of delegates condemning the prime minister's handling of the war, had made strenuous efforts to achieve consensus on the issue.

Their victory was secured when they persuaded the big four unions, who control 40% of conference votes, to oppose the rebel motion, proposed by local party delegate, Pat Healey.

It described the "continuing occupation of Iraq... [as] unjustifiably destructive" and called on Mr Blair "to name an early date for the withdrawal of British forces".

The vote came after the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, told delegates that the British forces in Iraq were not an army of occupation, but there at the request of the interim government with the endorsement of the UN security council.

"The situation in Iraq is serious. But let us be clear about this. The agenda the Iraqis have started to follow is one set by the people of Iraq and endorsed by the whole international community."

He added: "There is no occupation. The US, the UK and other countries' forces can only be in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government. It is their call. If they ask us to leave, we leave."

Mr Straw was speaking after Labour NEC member Shahid Malik urged delegates to unite behind an NEC statement "designed to maximise common ground".

"I believe it was wrong to go to war but it is equally wrong to abandon the Iraqi people when they need us most," he said.

Mr Malik concluded by calling on the movers of a motion calling for the early pull-out of British troops to withdraw their motion in the interests of party unity.

His efforts to secure consensus were rebutted however by Ms Healey, who refused to withdraw a motion calling for the end of the "unjustifiably destructive" occupation of Iraq.

"Some people say it could lead to a bloodbath but the bloodbath is already happening," she told Labour conference, "British troops in Iraq are part of the problem not part of the solution."

The NEC agreed its statement - which detailed how the UN security council legitimised the British presence in Iraq in June - last night after days of behind-the-scenes negotiations.

Speaking in the debate, the GMB union's Yvonne Ritchie said: "My union opposed the invasion, and we remain opposed. However, we cannot rewrite history ... the consequences of us leaving would be to plunge Iraq into civil war."

However anti-war stalwart Alice Mahon, the MP for Halifax, urged delegates to back the rebel motion, telling them that the "credibility gap with the electorate" is fuelled by the government's misrepresentation of the British presence.

Meanwhile former Iraqi exile, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmad, backed Mr Blair's handling of the war and called on Labour conference to support the British troops guarding "freedom" in Iraq.

"I beseech you to understand what it means to be free," she urged in an emotional address. "It is your soldiers, your sailors and your airmen who have laid down their lives, their humanity, to give us the freedom to give me my dream."

Hostage crisis

Today's debate comes as 40 people were killed in Baghdad in a series of bomb blasts and after the release of another video of British hostage Kenneth Bigley, who is now in the third week of his captivity.

Shackled, caged and dressed in an orange jump suit, Mr Bigley appealed to Tony Blair to do more to secure his release. "I'm begging you to speak, to push," he said.

Questioned about the government's efforts to free Mr Bigley this morning, Mr Straw, promised to listen to what his kidnappers had to say but maintained that he would not negotiate with them.

Speaking on GMTV, Mr Straw said: "We've made it clear, we have a policy which we adhere to, strictly and always, that we don't negotiate with hostage takers."

"But we want Mr Bigley released. Were the hostage-takers to get in touch with us, we would obviously listen to what they have to say."

He added: "That in no sense undermines our position and it may be that they are saying things that are consistent with our position which can secure Mr Bigley's release."


Link