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VOTE!

Dannyboy | 25.04.2003 16:42

Mayday on its way, now is the time to vote out the pro-war MPs.

Lets send a message to Blair and his bloodthirsty gang - if your MP voted for the war, its time you utilised your own vote to get them out of government!

 http://politics.guardian.co.uk/commons/story/0,9061,917507,00.html

Labour MPs who rebelled in February but voted with the government last night:

Jim Cunningham, Jeff Ennis (PPS to Tessa Jowell), Chris Mole and Paul Stinchcome.

Labour MPs who rebelled in February but didn't vote last night:

Colin Challen, Brian Donohoe, Paul Farrelly, Khalid Mahmood, David Marshall, Andrew Reed (r) Dennis Skinner (in hospital) and Brian White.

Labour MP Anne Begg rebelled in February and voted against the government motion last night - she abstained on the amendment.

Labour MPs who rebelled for the first time last night:

Bob Blizzard (r), Keith Bradley, Kevin Brennan, Anne Campbell (r), Michael Connarty, Frank Cook, Robin Cook (r), David Crausby Ian Davidson, John Denham (r), Parmjit Dhanda, Bill Etherington, Win Griffiths, John Grogan, Dai Havard, Stephen Hepburn, David Heyes, Joan Humble, David Kidney (r), Tony Lloyd, Ian Lucas, Eric Martlew, Chris Mullin, Gwyn Prosser, Ken Purchase (r), John Robertson, Graham Stringer, Alan Whitehead and David Wright.

· (r) marks out MPs who resigned over the Iraq issue

In their own words

Brian Donohoe
"I took a principled position three weeks ago that I wouldn't support military action against Iraq without UN authorisation. Since then circumstances have changed - President Chirac has threatened to unconditionally veto a second resolution, whatever its wording, while yesterday France offered to commit troops to the Gulf if Saddam Hussein used weapons of mass destruction.

"The prime minister, who has worked his butt off in the last few weeks, also gave a convincing performance. I could not vote for a situation where the troops in the Gulf had to be stood down for an inordinate amount of time. I therefore decided to abstain on the amendment."

Paul Stinchcome
"Three weeks ago I voted for the government motion because I believed that this was Saddam's last chance to comply with UN resolutions. I also voted for the amendment to that motion because Saddam had to be given the chance to take advantage of the opportunity to comply.

"As long as he still had time to comply the time for war had not yet come. Since then, however, the world has moved on - diplomacy has failed and the US has decided that it is going to war.

"The question before the House of Commons was not whether we could stop war but whether we should let America go it alone. I have no doubt at all that the world will be a safer place if we do not leave America to its unilateral devices."

Brian White
"Three weeks ago was first time I ever voted against a whip and it was very hard for me to oppose my government. I wasn't convinced that all diplomatic efforts were exhausted.

"Yesterday I veered between voting for the amendment and abstaining. I decided to abstain in the end because of the way the size of the rebellion was being used to attack the prime minister. Once the amendment had been lost I supported the motion because I think it is important to send a message to our troops that we support them."

Jeff Ennis
"I voted against the government for the first time three week ago because I was worried that the UN might in future be sidelined and concerned that military action might have a detrimental knock on effect in the rest of the Middle East, particular in Israel and Palestine.

"Yesterday I voted with the government because its motion answered both my concerns. It included a role for the UN in post-war Iraq and stressed the importance of the "road map" for a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. Obviously a second resolution would have been preferable."

Khalid Mahmood
"On the first Iraq debate held in February I voted for an amendment contrary to the government resolution, as at that time I did not feel that the peace diplomatic route had been properly exhausted. Many of us had hoped that we could continue with United Nations diplomacy.

"The British government, and in particular the prime minister, did its very best to get this matter to the UN for a further resolution. Regrettably, without even seeing the text of any such resolution President Chirac made it clear that come what may his country would veto any further resolution and as a result it prevented any further discussion leading to a further resolution at the UN.

"It is of course true that many permanent members of the security council have in the past used their veto, including the United Kingdom, however this has always been after listening to the arguments rather than in advance, thus preventing any further sensible diplomacy from being used.

"I deeply regret that conflict with Iraq is now imminent and I can only hope and pray that this action will be quick and with as few casualties as possible and that the Iraqi people can after a quarter of a century return to some kind of normal life."

Dannyboy

Comments

Display the following 9 comments

  1. Errr... — Brian
  2. Don't vote — ram
  3. starving — yeah right
  4. yeah right — Brian
  5. dont vote for any — dh
  6. spoiling spoils nothing — peoplewhohatepeople
  7. elections — heather
  8. fuck the vote — krop
  9. erm but — awake