The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Exclusive: Lib Dems speak out against war with Iran

Senior MPs warn against war after Clegg says no options are "off the table".

By George Eaton Published 15 February 2012 16:34

Nick Clegg's recent refusal to rule out British participation in military action against Iran came as a surprise. Few noticed at the time, but the Lib Dems were the only one of the three main parties to explicitly oppose war with Iran in their 2010 manifesto.

"[W]e oppose military action against Iran and believe those calling for such action undermine the growing reform movement in Iran," read a passage on page 68. Yet, in apparent breach of this pledge, Clegg told the House Magazine earlier this month that "you don't in a situation like this take any options off the table".

Now, speaking to the New Statesman, senior Lib Dem MPs have expressed their opposition to military action and urged Clegg to uphold his party's manifesto. Menzies Campbell, the former Lib Dem leader and foreign affairs spokesman, told me:

Military action would have the effect of setting fire to the Middle East. Anywhere you go in the United States or any senior policy figure that you speak to certainly believes that. The anxiety is about the possible actions of Israel. It's a damned close-run thing.

Unlike Clegg, he insisted that there should be a "presumption" against armed action.

The recently knighted backbencher Bob Russell invoked his party's opposition to the "illegal war" against Iraq and warned that "it is vital that we do not get involved with a similar outrage against Iran". He added:

We should condemn, now rather than after the event should it happen, any moves by Israel (with or without the backing and involvement of the United States) of a pre-emptive strike against Iran.

The consequences to world peace, not just in the Middle East, are immense.

Asked if he was opposed to military action, Martin Horwood, co-chair of the Lib Dem parliamentary party committee on international affairs, said:

Yes - and that was a Lib Dem manifesto commitment. Events move on and of course if British minesweepers were attacked in the Gulf or something like that, we would have to respond. But as things stand, the answer is clear.

Clegg would probably argue that the Coalition Agreement has trumped his party's manifesto. But at a time when he is pursuing a differentiation strategy in other areas, most Lib Dems will be dismayed by his equivocation. If the Iraq war was the making of Charles Kennedy, could an Iran war be the breaking of Nick Clegg?

A version of this piece appears in tomorrow's New Statesman.

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Tags: Liberal Democrats Iran

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12 comments

Wed, 2012-02-22 01:05 — Mr Woogy (not verified)

Clegg/Menzies so Gandhian and Saintly in everything he does! The sort that brought Hitler to power then refused to fight him! We need a war just to decrease the fast breeders!

Thu, 2012-02-16 16:37 — AndyPW

I can't see how Clegg can continue to be leader of the LibDems. Listening to him on bonuses he was to the right of Boris Johnson. Listening to him on Iran he is to the right of Cameron. What is he on?

Andy

Wed, 2012-02-15 17:03 — Benjamin Rae (not verified)

Jesus if anyone wants to know future coalition policy they just have to look at a catalogue definitive Clegg statements and work out what the opposite.
It's actually getting quite entertaining now trying to count how many times Clegg goes back on his word. Like a sort of game

Wed, 2012-02-15 17:12 — Tom (not verified)

Yet another example of one minute, oh yes, we're all for respecting intl. law, human rights and all the rest of it. Then, we must do our part and not standup to (and possibly piss off Obama)because a soveriegn nation having nuclear power will screw up our "national interests". This means that intl. law goes out the window.

Wed, 2012-02-15 17:13 — capt-price (not verified)

If there is to be an attack on Iran, you would think the musings of Clegg and co would be an utter irrelevance.

Militarily speaking, he hasn't a clue the size of such an undertaking. Twit!

Wed, 2012-02-15 17:18 — Sir Michael (not verified)

Given that the Lib Dems are against war with Iran we can safely assume that war is inevitable.

At the outbreak of war Nick Clegg will no doubt tell us that he doesn't know right now what he will know in the future (that Dave will throw a stick into Iran and say "fetch!").

Also, if we are invading non-democratic countries which have nuclear weapons why go abroad to find them? We are living in such a place.

Wed, 2012-02-15 17:23 — DSoyte (not verified)

Words can't express the loathing and utter contempt I have for the slime bag that is Nick Clegg. Disgusting opportunist who only got into power because students and other liberal minded people believed what he said in his manifesto. He makes my blood boil and I'm glad I ripped up my membership card.

Wed, 2012-02-15 18:18 — C Baker

The lib dems are more right wing than the tories and Labour, ukip and the bnp.

They have a policy mantra.

Nothing is felt from the heart, No gut instinct, no realism.

Stop poking your comfortable upper class lib dem wooley jumper noses in to other people's problems and doing nothing.

A sort of fabian marks and spencers comfortable socialism. A john lewis revolution.

Fur coat and no knickers.
they know jack shitism about iran and its people.

Lib dems aren't hard nosed business people or bankers- rich and loathed.
they are not even the nouvelle riche.
They are not the poor. They are an alien ace of do gooding comfortably off useless nobodies.

Wed, 2012-02-15 18:36 — Eddy S (not verified)

i wouldn't be surprised if iran is deliberately increasing tensions in order to drive up the oil price.

we should try to ignore iran if we can and ask other countries to produce more oil if the Iranians refuse to sell (which they are doing to preempt inevitable sanctions for there aggression).

Wed, 2012-02-15 18:45 — mike cobley (not verified)

So, according to Eddy S, Iran is the one increasing tensions and ramping up there (sic) aggression. I would refer anyone who think Iran is a threat to the map at this page at Juan Cole's site:

http://www.juancole.com/2011/12/iran-has-us-surrounded-all-right.html

Wed, 2012-02-15 20:23 — capt-price (not verified)

Clegg and his band of wretches are the Allan Partridge of UK politics.

He's attempting attempting a rather poor attempt at trying to establish authority and being in the loop. The truth is this arse will probably be the last to know if an attack is on the cards.

Like I said earlier, an utter irrelevance!