Yesterday was an important day in the British History.
If you don’t know the story, David Cameron, the Tory Prime Minister, had recalled Parliament, two days early to get permission to ‘intervene’ in Syria and punish the Syrian government for their alleged use of chemical weapons and the British Parliament said “No!”.
Ed Miliband, “a f*cking c**t and a copper bottomed shit” according to anonymous No 10 sources, stated his position on Twitter, that evidence is needed, we need to know what the UN Security Council says, that any action is time limited and that the consequences in Syria and the rest of the region are understood.
We want military action to be time limited and for there to be proper regard to potential consequences of military action on the region 3/3
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) August 29, 2013
We want to see compelling evidence of the perpetrator and a vote in the UN Security Council after the weapons inspectors have reported 2/3
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) August 29, 2013
There are key differences between the Government motion and the Labour amendment 1/3
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) August 29, 2013
Also in a letter to me, he said
My position is clear: any action that our country supports must be legal, legitimate and effective. Our country must not make the same mistakes that happened ten years ago.
Our desperate desire to help stop this suffering in Syria must not lead us to rushed or wrong decisions.
Some have criticised his, and others, hiding behind legality, but support for international law and its collective interpretation is a both a moral and political position. The United Nations created War Crimes, one of which is waging aggressive war, together with the international jurisdiction to enforce and prosecute them. Unilateral military action does not strengthen international law. As Hans Blix, says in his comment in the Guardian,
Even if Assad used chemical weapons, the west has no mandate to act as a global policeman
It’s a victory for democracy in the UK. After the vote, only one MP called on Cameron to resign, in days gone by he would have had to.
Oddly, it’s a Tory who summarises the disconnected thinking of the Tory led coalition,
This was Parliament at its best. The British ppl are not turning their backs #Syria, but their humanitarian aid will not be cruise missiles
— Sarah Wollaston MP (@drwollastonmp) August 29, 2013
ooOOoo
Following the vote in Parliament, Michael Meacher MP describes Ed Miliband’s journey to becoming the most effective Leader of the Opposition in 100 years.
Laura Penny takes issue with George Osborne’s night watchman stance, that it’s hugely damaging for Britain’s influence in the World and our exports. Osborne being classy as ever!
About the title, it’s from the song, and there are many heroes and heroines to take credit for yesterday’s attack of sanity.