Latest news with #Chilcot-style
Middle East Eye
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Jeremy Corbyn: UK must decide if it will 'block efforts to expose truth' over Israel support
Jeremy Corbyn has told Middle East Eye that the British government must decide whether it will support an inquiry into UK involvement in Israel's war on Gaza, or 'block our efforts to expose the truth'. On Wednesday, the former Labour leader presented in parliament his bill for an independent, Chilcot-style public inquiry into Britain's support for Israeli military operations in Gaza. The bill passed without division and Corbyn hailed the development, telling MEE: 'We have passed a major hurdle in establishing an independent inquiry into the UK's involvement in Gaza. 'I will now be writing to the prime minister to ask for assurance that the government will not stand in the way.' The independent MP said: 'The government must decide: will it support an inquiry that has support from MPs across the political spectrum, or will it block our efforts to expose the truth?' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters John McDonnell, the former Labour shadow chancellor, who is also supporting the bill, told MEE: 'All we are asking for is the truth to be told about the genocide taking place in Gaza, not just to expose the horrendous brutality of Israel's actions, but to enable those accountable for this war crime to be held to account.' The Gaza (Independent Public Inquiry) bill is now on the House of Commons' order of business for 4 July, though it is listed low down the order paper and will only be debated if the government decides to give it the time. There are already indications that Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government will seek to torpedo efforts to establish an inquiry, which would seek the full cooperation of both Labour and Conservative ministers involved in decision-making processes since October 2023, when Israel's war on Gaza began following the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October. Asked by Corbyn about the provision of components for the F-35 jets used by Israel and if the government would support his inquiry, the UK Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer replied: 'I do not see that this could be any further scrutinised and litigated… or what an independent inquiry on the F-35 parts would achieve.' In an earlier statement on Gaza, Falconer said the British government was 'appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents, in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza'. He said Britain was continuing to 'strongly support efforts led by the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza', and that the Israeli government's 'decision to expand its military operations in Gaza and severely restrict aid' undermined these goals. 'All we are asking for is the truth to be told about the genocide taking place in Gaza' - John McDonnell, former Labour shadow chancellor Presenting his bill in parliament shortly after Falconer's response, Corbyn spoke of the need for an inquiry into the UK's 'economic, military and political cooperation with Israel since October 2023,' including the sale or supply of weapons and the use of the Royal Air Force base Akrotiri on Cyprus, from which transport and spy planes fly regularly. He said the inquiry should find out the full list of military shipments to Israel, stating: 'It's very simple: until this government ends the sale of weapons to Israel, it remains complicit in the mass murder of Palestinians.' Corbyn referenced the Chilcot inquiry into the UK's involvement in the Iraq war, which was published – after much resistance from the government – in 2016 and found 'serious failings within the British government'. Labour's leader at the time, Corbyn apologised for his party's 'catastrophic decision to go to war in Iraq'. In parliament on Wednesday, Corbyn said 'history is now repeating itself'. UK: Corbyn and new independent MPs urge Labour to act on Gaza Read More » 'Over the past 18 months, human beings have endured a level of horror and inhumanity that should haunt us all forever,' he said of Israel's war on Gaza, which has claimed the lives of over 55,000 Palestinians. 'We are not just witnessing a war, we are witnessing a genocide, this time live-streamed all over the world,' he continued. Corbyn highlighted Britain's "highly influential role in Israel's military operations'. Export data released in May showed that the UK approved $169m worth of military equipment to Israel between October and December 2024, shortly after the Labour government had partially suspended arms exports over concerns they could be used unlawfully in Gaza. RAF flights British surveillance flights over Gaza have continued even following Foreign Secretary David Lammy's announcement that the UK was suspending free trade agreement talks with Israel in response to its expanded military operations in the Palestinian enclave. RAF shadow aircraft have conducted hundreds of surveillance flights from Akrotiri over Gaza since the war began. Corbyn called for the inquiry to uncover what exactly the base in Cyprus is being used for, regarding the supply of arms and intelligence. 'In the future, our history books will shame those who had the opportunity to stop this massacre' - Jeremy Corbyn At least 40 parliamentarians now support Corbyn's bill, and MEE understands that more MPs have expressed support for a second reading following the former Labour leader's Wednesday speech in parliament. 'Today, children are taught about history's worst crimes against humanity. They are asked to reflect on how these crimes could have possibly occurred,' Corbyn said in that speech. 'In the future, our history books will shame those who had the opportunity to stop this massacre but chose to enable atrocity after atrocity instead.'
Powys County Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Parliament moves closer to setting up Iraq war-style inquiry into Gaza conflict
A Chilcot-style inquiry would uncover the 'murky history of what's gone on' in Gaza, Jeremy Corbyn has said. Parliament moved a step closer to setting up a probe after MPs agreed that the Gaza (Independent Public Inquiry) Bill should be listed for a debate later this year. The draft new law would 'require the inquiry to consider any UK military, economic or political co-operation with Israel since October 2023', the month when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 others. Israel's retaliatory offensive has seen more than 54,000 people in Gaza killed, according to the territory's health ministry. 'Our future history books will report with shame those that had the opportunity to stop this carnage but failed to act to achieve it, and so we will continue our campaigns in this House and outside because we're appalled at what is happening,' the former Labour Party leader told the Commons. Mr Corbyn, the Independent MP for Islington North, had earlier said: 'In the aftermath of the Iraq war, several attempts were made to establish an inquiry surrounding the conduct of the British military operations. 'The government of the day spent many years resisting those attempts and those demands for an inquiry, however, they could not prevent the inevitable and in 2016 we had the publication of the Chilcot Inquiry, which Sir John Chilcot had undertaken over several years.' Mr Corbyn added that when he was the Labour leader, when the 12-volume report came out, he 'apologised on behalf of the Labour Party for the catastrophic decision to go to war in Iraq' and added: 'History is now repeating itself.' He warned that 'human beings have endured a level of horror and inhumanity that should haunt us all forever – entire families wiped out, limbs strewn across the street, mothers screaming for their children buried under the rubble, human beings torn to pieces, doctors performing amputations without anaesthetic, children picking grass and dirt from the ground thinking they might find something edible to eat'. Mr Corbyn alleged that the UK had a 'highly influential role in Israel's military operations', including by supplying weapons, and also said a future inquiry should seek the 'truth regarding the role of British military bases in Cyprus' and Government 'legal advice over an assessment of genocide'. He said the inquiry would uncover the 'murky history of what's gone on, the murky arms sales and the complicity in appalling acts of genocide'. Deputy Speaker Nus Ghani called 'order' when several MPs applauded, as Mr Corbyn presented his Bill.
Sky News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Labour MPs back Corbyn calls for Chilcot-style inquiry into UK's role in Gaza war
A number of Labour MPs have backed calls for Sir Keir Starmer to hold a Chilcot-style inquiry into the UK's role in the Gaza war. Thirty-seven MPs, including 10 from Labour, have signed a letter to the prime minister by Jeremy Corbyn, who has demanded a "comprehensive inquiry with legal power to establish the truth". Among the signatories are Labour MPs Brian Leishman and Steve Witherden, who were both elected last July, and those on the left including Diane Abbott, Zarah Sultana and Nadia Whittome. It has also gained the support of MPs in the SNP, Plaid Cymru, Sinn Fein and members of the House of Lords. Support for the letter, seen by Sky News, risks reigniting internal Labour divisions over Gaza, just as Israel faces accusations of "control and censorship" for denying entry and then deporting two of MPs who had travelled there with a parliamentary delegation. Israel said it refused entry to Labour's Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang because it believed they were there to "provoke anti-Israel activities" and spread "anti-Israel hatred". 3:51 The two MPs, who said they were visiting humanitarian aid projects in the West Bank, have received the support of Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who said the decision was "unacceptable" and no way to treat British parliamentarians". Israel is also facing questions over the deaths of 15 emergency workers who were killed near the southern city of Rafah on 23 March and then buried in a "mass grave", according to Jonathan Whittall, the head of the UN's humanitarian affairs office. A preliminary inquiry by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has found that the troops opened fire on a group of vehicles in Gaza, including ambulances, due to a "perceived threat following a previous encounter in the area". The IDF also said the early investigation indicated six of those who died "were identified as Hamas terrorists" - although no evidence was presented. 4:10 Labour tensions over Gaza Sky News understands that Mr Corbyn may seek to force a vote on the issue of an inquiry, potentially through a private members' bill (PMB), which allows backbench MPs to propose changes to the law. However, PMBs are rarely successful without government backing. Internal Labour tensions over Gaza were exposed following Sir Keir's immediate response to Israel launching its incursion into the enclave after the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. The Labour leader drew criticism for an interview he gave to LBC in which he appeared to suggest that Israel had a right to limit essential supplies, including water and electricity, to Gaza. He later said he was only referring to the right Israel had to defend itself. The 7 October attack killed 1,200 Israelis and saw about 250 taken hostage. More than 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. 2:25 'Evasion, obstruction and silence' Mr Corbyn, who sits as an independent MP after he was blocked from standing for Labour at the last election, said he had repeatedly sought answers on the continued sale of components for F-35 jets to Israel, the role of British military bases and the legal definition of genocide - but had been met with "evasion, obstruction and silence". As a result, the government was "leaving the public in the dark over the ways in which the responsibilities of government have been discharged", Mr Corbyn argued. Drawing parallels with the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war - which found the UK's decision to invade was based on "flawed intelligence and assessments" - Mr Corbyn said history was at risk of "repeating itself". The Chilcot report, which was published in 2016 following a series of delays, criticised former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair for not consulting his cabinet before giving George W Bush assurances the UK would be with him "whatever", eight months before the invasion began. It also said the circumstances leading up to the then attorney general's controversial advice that the war was legal - without a second UN resolution - were "far from satisfactory". In his letter, Mr Corbyn said the inquiry he was calling for "should establish exactly what decisions have been taken, how these decisions have been made, and what consequences they have had". "Any meaningful inquiry would require the full co-operation from government ministers involved in decision-making processes since October 2023," he added. "Many people believe the government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law. "These charges will not go away until there is a comprehensive, public, independent inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth."
Middle East Eye
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK MPs join Corbyn's call for 'Chilcot-style' inquiry into UK role in Gaza
A cross-party group of British MPs has backed former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's recent call for a "Chilcot-style" inquiry into the UK's involvement in Gaza. In a letter to the prime minister on 4 March, Corbyn - now an independent MP - argued that Britain has "played a highly influential role in Israel's military operations". He recalled the Chilcot inquiry into the invasion of Iraq, which found that Tony Blair's government had based its decision on "flawed intelligence and assessments". Corbyn urged a similar inquiry into Britain's complicity with Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed at least 61,000 people. Now, Labour MPs Richard Burgon, Brian Leishman and Diane Abbott have joined Corbyn's fellow members of the Independent Alliance, independent MP Zarah Sultana, the Scottish National Party's Brendan O'Hara and Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer in backing the demand. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "Britain has played a highly influential role in Israel's military operations, including the sale of weapons, the supply of intelligence and the use of Royal Air Force bases in Cyprus," the group said in a letter to The Guardian on Thursday night. "Transparency and accountability are cornerstones of democracy. Therefore we are demanding an independent, public inquiry into the UK's involvement in Israel's military assault in Gaza." The letter added that the inquiry should "require the full cooperation of ministers involved in decision-making processes since October 2023". "Many people believe that the government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law. These charges will not go away until there is an inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth." 'Officials are bullied into silence' This comes after former foreign office official Mark Smith said last month that he witnessed "conduct that I believe crossed the threshold into complicity with war crimes" among officials. British Foreign Office official Mark Smith resigns over UK 'complicity in war crimes' in Gaza Read More » "Officials are bullied into silence," he reported. "Processes are manipulated to produce politically convenient outcomes. Whistleblowers are stonewalled, isolated and ignored." In his original letter, Corbyn referred to a January report from the British Palestinian Committee, which detailed the procurement of weapons from the Israeli military industry and the use of British military bases. The Royal Air Force base Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus is used by the UK, US and Germany to supply Israel with 'weapons, personnel, and intelligence'. The report argues that the UK "is not simply failing in its third-party responsibilities to uphold international law, but is actively complicit in genocidal acts perpetrated against the Palestinian people".
Middle East Eye
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Jeremy Corbyn demands 'Chilcot' style inquiry into UK complicity in Israel's war on Gaza
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to establish an independent "Chilcot-style" enquiry into the UK's involvement in Israel's war on Gaza. In a letter to the prime minister, Corbyn - who sits in parliament as an independent MP - argued that Britain has "played a highly influential role in Israel's military operations". "Many people believe that the government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law," he wrote, pointing to Britain's sale of weapons and supply of intelligence to Israel. He recalled the Chilcot inquiry into the invasion of Iraq, which found Tony Blair government's decision was based on "flawed intelligence and assessments". Corbyn urged a similar inquiry into Britain's complicity with Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed at least 61,000 people. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "We have repeatedly asked for the truth regarding the role of British military bases," Corbyn wrote. "And we have repeatedly requested the publication of legal advice behind the Government's (currently unknown) definition of genocide. "Our requests have been met with evasion, obstruction and silence." 'Complicity' A government spokesperson told Sky News: "Our priority since day one has been a sustainable ceasefire, and a lasting peace that will ensure the long-term peace and security of both Palestinians and Israelis. "We must build confidence on all sides that helps sustain the ceasefire and move it from phase one through to phase three, and into a lasting peace and an end to the suffering on all sides." New report lays out full extent of UK-Israel military partnership in Gaza Read More » This comes after former Foreign Office official Mark Smith said last month that he witnessed "conduct that I believe crossed the threshold into complicity with war crimes" among officials. "Officials are bullied into silence," he reported. "Processes are manipulated to produce politically convenient outcomes. Whistleblowers are stonewalled, isolated and ignored." In his letter, Corbyn referred to a January report from the British Palestinian Committee which detailed the procurement of weapons from the Israeli military industry and the use of British military bases. The Royal Air Force base Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus is used by the UK, US and Germany to supply Israel with 'weapons, personnel, and intelligence'. The report argues that the UK "is not simply failing in its third-party responsibilities to uphold international law, but is actively complicit in genocidal acts perpetrated against the Palestinian people".
