Caroline Lucas MP statement on Chilcot delay

21 January 2015

Of the latest delay in the publication of the Chilcot Report into the 2003 Iraq War, Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said today:

“It’s outrageous that the Iraq Inquiry will not be published before the General Election. This latest episode in the long-running Chilcot saga is completely undermining credibility in the whole process and is rightly leading people to question who’s actually steering this inquiry, and to whom it is accountable.

“We need urgent reform of the whole process of managing independent inquiries. The report’s independence is crucial – but cries of frustration at inexcusable delays, while understandable, are not enough. In future, Parliament needs the power to call for a judge-led inquiry with a precise and strict publication schedule. The health of our

democracy is at stake.

“The catastrophic effects of the Iraq war are being felt to this day. That's why, for all its delays, this remains an essential report – and we must continue to press for it to be what it was always meant to be: a full and transparent public record of the events that led to the illegal invasion of Iraq, and the role of those involved.”

Ends

CAROLINE IS SPONSORING A MOTION SCHEDULED FOR DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT NEXT WEEK. SHE'S A TOP SPONSOR ALONGSIDE DAVID DAVIS, NORMAN BAKER, AND JEREMY CORBYN, AMONG OTHERS. THE MOTION CALLS FOR THE INQUIRY TO PUBLISH ITS FINDINGS AND ALL EVIDENCE SUBMITTED IN FULL AND TO MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC NEXT MONTH.





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