Press release

9-07-03
“Blair must resign if no weapons of mass destruction are found” – Barrett

John Barrett, Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today told the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, that he should resign if the Iraq survey group do not find weapons of mass destruction by the end of the summer recess.

Mr Barrett made the call during the weekly Commons question time.

In a statement, John Barrett said:

"During the build up to military action in Iraq, the Government promised that any conflict would be both legal and just because of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.  However months on from the end of the war, the Iraq survey group has failed to find anything to justify the conflict.

"The Foreign Affairs Committee in their report last Monday, admitted that despite the evidence given to them, they could only conclude that the case for going to war was still unproven.  That is why we need a full independent inquiry, chaired by a judge and given full access to all the necessary documents.

"The Prime Minister must recognise that it is not just public trust in him that is at risk, it is public trust in Parliament and public trust in Government as a whole.  The longer the delay in finding weapons of mass destruction and the longer the delay in holding an independent inquiry, the greater the danger of public trust being irreversibly damaged.

"In the absence of an inquiry and the absence of weapons of mass destruction being found by the time the House of Commons returns from recess in October, the Prime Minister should come to Parliament and make a speech in the same manner as Robin Cook, a resignation speech."

ENDS