Call for UK Government Regime Change
Veronika Tudhope | 31.08.2003 19:15 | Anti-militarism
A resolution passed by a local peace group in Ayrshire is expected to start a national avalanche of calls for Tony Blair’s resignation. Other organisations, large and small, are being encouraged to adopt and pass the resolution. Ayrshire North Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, meeting in Irvine on the 26th August 2003, called for the Prime Minister to stand down in recognition that his action caused and continues to cause unnecessary suffering against the will of the British people. Hindsight and the Hutton enquiry, they say, show his professed reasons for supporting the USA in an unpopular, illegal and immoral war were unfounded.
The resolution passed by members of group reads
“Although this organisation recognises that Saddam Hussein caused great suffering to his own people, by leading this country into the war on Iraq we believe that Mr Blair went against the wishes of the majority of people in Britain and overstepped his authority as their principal elected servant. Our reasons are as follows:
The war was not supported by the UN and must be seen as illegal under international law.
The war has achieved exactly what most rational people predicted: death and injury to many innocent Iraqis; military casualties; massive destruction through indiscriminate bombing; huge financial cost; excessive human suffering. Now we have left Iraq virtually lawless and in many ways in a worse state than before.
In his attempts to persuade the people of Britain that this war was justified, Mr. Blair misled the British people regarding the military capabilities of Iraq, in particular the possession of weapons of mass destruction and the ability and willingness to use them against Britain (or indeed other nations). Whether Mr. Blair was misinformed by his advisors or was a willing party to this deception, he must, as Prime Minister, accept the final responsibility for an act that shows him to be either lacking in competence or covertly deceitful, an act which brings shame on our nation and may invite retribution in ways which are impossible to predict.
For these reasons the members of this organisation seek the resignation of Mr. Blair from the office of Prime Minister and call on the people of Britain as individuals and as members of democratic organisations to support this resolution and campaign for its implementation.”
‘Other organisations have already expressed an interest in proposing the resolution, ‘ said Arthur West, secretary of the group,’ and we are confident that many others will join in the call for the Prime Minister’s resignation.’
The group asks all those who have passed the resolution to write to Ian McCartney, the Chairman of the Labour Party, at the House of Commons (London SW1A 0AA) to inform him of their decision.
As a YouGov poll for the Daily Telegraph in July (taken before the death of Dr Kelly and the BBC’s admission that he was its primary source) revealed that 39 per cent of voters thought the Prime Minister should resign then there will no doubt be plenty of interest.
“Although this organisation recognises that Saddam Hussein caused great suffering to his own people, by leading this country into the war on Iraq we believe that Mr Blair went against the wishes of the majority of people in Britain and overstepped his authority as their principal elected servant. Our reasons are as follows:
The war was not supported by the UN and must be seen as illegal under international law.
The war has achieved exactly what most rational people predicted: death and injury to many innocent Iraqis; military casualties; massive destruction through indiscriminate bombing; huge financial cost; excessive human suffering. Now we have left Iraq virtually lawless and in many ways in a worse state than before.
In his attempts to persuade the people of Britain that this war was justified, Mr. Blair misled the British people regarding the military capabilities of Iraq, in particular the possession of weapons of mass destruction and the ability and willingness to use them against Britain (or indeed other nations). Whether Mr. Blair was misinformed by his advisors or was a willing party to this deception, he must, as Prime Minister, accept the final responsibility for an act that shows him to be either lacking in competence or covertly deceitful, an act which brings shame on our nation and may invite retribution in ways which are impossible to predict.
For these reasons the members of this organisation seek the resignation of Mr. Blair from the office of Prime Minister and call on the people of Britain as individuals and as members of democratic organisations to support this resolution and campaign for its implementation.”
‘Other organisations have already expressed an interest in proposing the resolution, ‘ said Arthur West, secretary of the group,’ and we are confident that many others will join in the call for the Prime Minister’s resignation.’
The group asks all those who have passed the resolution to write to Ian McCartney, the Chairman of the Labour Party, at the House of Commons (London SW1A 0AA) to inform him of their decision.
As a YouGov poll for the Daily Telegraph in July (taken before the death of Dr Kelly and the BBC’s admission that he was its primary source) revealed that 39 per cent of voters thought the Prime Minister should resign then there will no doubt be plenty of interest.
Veronika Tudhope
e-mail:
v@veronika.co.uk
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