LFIQ President Harry Barnes MP proposes Third Way on Iraq

Business Statement, House of Commons, Thursday 14th October
Mr. Harry Barnes (North-East Derbyshire) (Lab): May I press for that debate on Iraq? There are people with different perspectives on the matter, ranging from my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith), who asked for the debate, to my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House. There are some of us who believe in a third way – I thought that the Government might be interested in third ways. We say that the invasion itself was wrong and that some of its consequences were predictable, but that everything must now be done to assist democratic forces in Iraq to build a proper, decent society. Although there might still be big differences between both sides, there might be an area on which we could get agreement, so let us have the debate.
Mr. Hain (Leader of the House of Commons): I am very sympathetic to my hon. Friend’s point of view. Whatever opinions are passionately held about the merits, or otherwise, of going to war in Iraq, the truth is that we are where we are. The objective now, as he says, is to ensure that we have a democratic Iraq that includes a strong and independent trade union movement. We must support that enterprise and use all our efforts and resources to ensure that the Iraqi people have the chance to run their own country for the first time in at least a generation, if not ever.