The Government Must Recall Parliament Without Delay

Last Wednesday, I called for an immediate recall of Parliament to give MPs the right to discuss the escalating crisis in the Middle East and decide Britain's strategy in a free vote. A week later, the Government is still resisting these calls despite the utter failure and moral bankruptcy of its position.

Like hundreds of other MPs, I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the response from constituents who want an immediate end to the bloodshed. At a time of such crisis, it is crucial that MPs are able to represent the views of their constituents. Only an immediate recall of Parliament will allow our voices be heard.

Like the vast majority of the British public, I simply cannot comprehend why the Prime Minister still refuses to demand an immediate ceasefire, even as hundreds of civilians continue to die, thousands are forced from their homes, and Lebanon's infrastructure is systematically destroyed. Just today, the Israeli Government has approved military plans to further extend the invasion of Lebanon. How many more innocents have to die before the Prime Minister supports our calls for an end to this violence?

I also want to thank everyone who has been in touch to offer their support. I share your anger and grief at the senseless loss of so many innocent lives.

Success of Stop the War March

I joined and spoke at the Stop the War demonstration today (Saturday). I pay tribute to the Stop the War Coalition for its success in mobilising in such a short space of time such a huge number of people. To mobilse tens of thousands of demonstrators in less than 10 days is a remarkable feat of organisation but also shows the strength of feeling in our country on the issue of Lebanon.

I believe that the backlash across the world against the Bush/Blair strategy has had its effect in forcing the US and Britain to the negotiating table much sooner than was ever intended by Bush and Blair.

The draft UN resolution appears to move peace nearer with France playing a pivotal role in forcing the pace of negotiations. The Lebanese government however will not accept the loss of sovereignty over vast swathes of its own land and the Lebanese people of all religions will not now allow the isolation of Hezbollah.

At the same time the people of Gaza continue to suffer the oppressive intervention of the Israeli miltary.

If a cessation of military action is secured by early next week the progressive world must not turn its attention away from the Lebanon for the terms of the peace may be a further injustice perpetrated on the Lebanese and on the Palestinians.

Injustice breeds resentment. Traumatic experiences such as invasion and all the human suffering associated with it breed anger and a culture of revenge. Revenge is the mobilising force for terrorism. For the Israelis their military invasion of Lebanon and the use of intense force may appear to resolve the immediate threat of physical attack. However the long term cost is the potential of a new generation of enemies mobilised by their actions.

If a UN resolution is achieved this week and a cessation of hostilities takes place, let us call upon the UN to launch a fresh and much longer term peace making initiative in the region, addressing the injustices and bringing all parties back into the political process.Tony Blair has blown Britain's opportunity of having a major role in the peacemaking process as few around the world trust the independence of Blair's Britain. We may now need to look to France as the catalyst and coordinator of a new peace confrence for the region, including all parties but especially from Lebanon, the Palestinians, Iran, Syria and Israel.

Labour's NEC Election Results Demonstrate We Can Win

The election of my old friend Walter Wolfgang to Labour's National Executive Committee demonstrates the large majority that there is within the Labour Party's rank and file for candidates not just of the Left but also those that are opposed to war and opposed to nuclear weapons.

There are thousands of party members who are willing to use their votes in party elections to voice their concerns about the way in which Tony Blair has implicated a Labour Government in George Bush's military adventures in the Middle East.

I will be speaking at the Stop the War demonstration on Saturday calling for an immediate ceasefire in both the Lebanon and Gaza but also damanding that Tony Blair be recalled to Parliament to be held accountable for his failure to work with others to secure peace in Lebanon. I hold Tony Blair to account for the tragic loss of life in both Lebanon and Palestine. His failure to seek an immediate ceasefire and to support the Bush strategy has contributed to the significant loss of civilian lives and is unforgiveable. The failure of cabinet members to publicly demand a change of policy is equally a failure of nerve.

Saturday's demonstration will give voice to the anger at the failure of the British Government and will also allow the voice of the majorirty to heard.

Recall Parliament on Lebanon

The military invasion of Lebanon by Israel and the escalation in the number of Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israel is a sure indication that far from being a limited and short lived enagagement the fighting in Lebanon is deteriorating into a full scale war. Unless some resolution is found shortly there must be a real risk of other states being drawn into the conflict.

The Bush/Blair strategy of allowing the Israelis a period of grace of 10 days in which they could destroy Hezbollah has not only failed but is proving to be counter-productive in that support for Hezbollah appears to be hardening both in Lebanon and on the Arab street.

The Prime Minister's latest speech in the US offers nothing new by way of analysis or strategy. In fact it is a patently obvious rehash of earlier speeches, slightly more messianic but desperately spun out to make it appear that some new approach is being developed.

My main fear is that every day this present fighting goes on there will be more atrocities perpetrated by either side, which will make it all the more difficult in the long run to secure a lasting peace in the region and prevent an inevitable increase in terrorist activity around the globe.

Scilla Elsworthy, founder of the world famous Oxford Research Group and Peace Direct, and Gabrielle Rifkind, founder of the Middle Esat Policy Initiative Forum, describe very concretely in their excellent book "Making Terrorism History" how "violent conflict is prolonged through cycles of trauma and retaliation, but also how armed intervention designed to end conflict can often have the effect of stimulating more violence."

The Bush/Blair strategy is failing before our eyes at such a dreadful cost in terms of loss of life and human suffering. The latest total of lives lost is nearly 700, with nearly 1 million refugees displaced in the Lebanon. We need to have an urgent and open debate on what we as a country can do to bring a swift end to the current escalating conflict and what role we can play with others to help prevent future aggression. One step in starting this critical debate would be the recall of Parliament. I called for the recall of Parliament last Sunday. Other MPs have now joined that call. What is the Prime Minister's fear of having a Parliamentary debate?

We hear that a debate went on in Cabinet and a number of Cabinet Ministers have let it leak out that they questioned the Prime Minister's strategy. I have to say Cabinet Ministers trying to salve their consciences in this cowardly and pathetic way is almost as disgraceful as Tony Blair supporting the Bush strategy. If Cabinet Ministers had spoken out in public in opposing Tony Blair's support for the Bush line or had even done the honourable thing and resigned in order to speak out on this issue, I would have had some respect for them. To hide behind leaks and off the record briefings is degrading. If those in Cabinet who were concerned about the Bush/Blar strategy had acted decisively together there may have been the opportunity of securing a break with Bush and Britain joining with others in calling for an immediate ceasefire. Their failure to act implicates them in this failure to demand and secure peace and end the killing in Lebanon, Gaza and Israel.

Recalling Parliament would give every Member of Parliament the opportunity to speak and vote on the basis of their conscience. If Parliament is recalled, I would wish to see the opportunity given to MPs to vote on a motion to determine Britain's independent strategy and for this vote to be unwhipped.

Halt the Use of Britain as Transit Station for US Weapons for Israel

Despite the revulsion and outrage felt at the Israeli attack on Qana and the tragic loss of children's lives, the British Government is still allowing British airfields to be used as transit stations for weapons being transported by the US to Israel. The Observer newspaper identified the Israeli accumulation and possible use of cluster bombs, bunker busters and depleted uranium tipped warheads.

The use of these weapons in civilian areas as witnessed in Lebanon is contary to international law. And yet the Prime Minister continues to allow George Bush to use our airstrips to resupply the Israeli military.

In a cat and mouse game in the face of protests today Des Brown, the Secretary of State for Defence, has switched the US airplane landings from Prestwick to England.

I fully support those protesting against the use of our country by the US as a base for arming the Israelis with such devastating weapons which are resulting in such heavy and terrible civilian casualties.

I go further and express my support for any workers engaged in the operation of these airports or our airspace who refuse on grounds of conscience and international law to participate in supporting the shipment of these weapons. In the light of all the evidence in recent days demonstrating the use to which the Israelis are putting these weapons I believe that workers have every right to refuse to facilitate the transportation of these weapons.