Law matters in Iran as it should have in Iraq - Alex Cole-Hamilton
In 2002, addressing Liberal Democrat conference, Charles Kennedy said: “A resort to military force must be a last resort…In all of this, we speak for the common-sense and humanity of the vast majority of the British people. We shall continue to do so.”
Charles’ fierce opposition to the Iraq War is well-documented, as is the unwavering importance he placed on the rule of law.
And following the US strikes on Iran, I know Charles would be horrified to see the contempt being shown for the latter.
That contempt is clear not only in the dubious legal basis for America’s actions, but also in the ill-informed commentary by those like Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, who have sought to diminish international law as somehow weak and irrelevant.
How easy it is to criticise the institutions and principles that exist to prevent the horrors of war, when such horrors have never visited you.
Liberal Democrats are clear. The Prime Minister must not let Trump drag Britain into another prolonged war in the Middle East. The UK must not be complicit in illegal military action.
Starmer’s distinction between “defensive” and “offensive” to justify allowing the US to use our air bases seems like dancing on the head of a very small pin.
Ed Davey has called on Starmer to now come to parliament, set out the legal case in full and give MPs a vote on whether the US should be allowed to use the bases.
The rule of law and parliamentary democracy are not suddenly jettisoned at times of international conflict. At such dangerous and unpredictable times they are needed more than ever. They matter to the Liberal Democrats and they always will.
Trump’s decision has consequences and we are already seeing what it means for us at home.
Just look at how Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Qatari energy infrastructure are driving a dramatic spike in wholesale gas prices.
In a matter of days, European natural gas prices have surged by around 45 per cent. Qatar is a major supplier of liquified natural gas to the UK and Europe, meaning any disruption has immediate consequences for British energy bills.
Once again, families and businesses are facing the prospect of higher bills because of events thousands of miles away. It’s a very tangible reminder why we should be investing in clean, homegrown energy to cut bills and strengthen our security.
Make no mistake, Iran can never have nuclear weapons. The existential threat the regime poses to Israel is unacceptable and must be stopped.
But unilateral military action with no clear legal basis is not the way forward. It is certainly not how we deliver a long-term lock on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
In 2002, voices like Charles Kennedy’s were denounced in many quarters. Some chose to cast his respect for the rule of law, his careful analysis of the facts, as the behaviour of a “spineless reptile”.
But history has vindicated him. The Iraq War invites far more criticism than it does commendation. And in a world that can bend all too easily to the court of Donald Trump and to the idea that might is somehow always right, we would do well to remember that.