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Prime Minister's Powers to go to war need to be curbed: Stunell

September 13, 2005 10:15 AM

Andrew Stunell arguing against the War in Iraq in the House of CommonsLocal campaigners from the national democracy campaign group, Charter88 have congratulated local MP Andrew Stunell for campaigning to require the government to gain authority from Parliament before going to war.

Hazel Grove MP, Andrew Stunell, said:

"At the moment the Prime Minister can currently go to war without the support of the House of Commons by using the Royal Prerogative. Britain is one of the few developed democracies where Parliament does not have a formal say in the use of armed forces.

"The Royal Prerogative is a relic of the past: in a parliamentary democracy parliament must have the legal right to sanction the use of armed force by this country.

"There is no decision more important - it can result in our fellow citizens being killed. I will do all that I can to ensure that this becomes law."

A Private Members' Bill is currently going through parliament to make this law, with support from leading MPs from all parties, but the Government has not yet declared its support.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The Armed Forces (Parliamentary Approval for Participation in Armed Conflict) Bill is a Private Members' Bill being sponsored by a cross-party team of MPs including Clare Short (Labour), William Hague (Conservative) and Sir Menzies Campbell (Lib Dem).

2. You can find more information and resources at http://www.charter88.org.uk Charter88 can help provide further information, interviews or quotes. Please contact James Blanchard on 0845 4507210 or james@charter88.org.uk for more details.

3. Over 80,000 people have signed up the Charter88, the campaign for a fair and modern democracy.

4. 83% of people in the latest State of the Nation poll (the independent survey carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust since 1991) and 93% of people in a recent ITV poll backed this change.

5. Gordon Brown backed the principal behind the Bill in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/30/nbrown30.xml for more details, Stephen Byers backed the principal behind the Bill in an article in The Times on May 11th, see http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-355-1607029,00.html for details.

6. The Public Administration Select Committee called for urgent legislation to close this loophole caused by the Royal Prerogative in the last Parliament.

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