Dear All,
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will be speaking in Connahs Quay, Flintshire on
Thursday 30th January at Connahs Quay Labour Club, 7pm.
Mr Hoon will be attempting to drum up support for war on Iraq.
Local Labour party members and others will be present in order to voice
their opposition,
Please try to come along if you are able to.
David
*****************************
Cabinet big guns to drum up support for war
By Nigel Morris Political Correspondent
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=369301
15 January 2003
Cabinet ministers are being sent around the country to try to win over
Labour activists angry over the prospect of Britain going to war in Iraq.
Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, and John Reid, the party
chairman, are taking the lead in setting out the case for military strikes.
But Mr Reid has told colleagues they are also expected to become involved by
addressing Labour members across Britain.
Party chiefs have been alarmed by surveys setting out the strength of
grassroots opposition to military action.
Mr Hoon will address activists in north Wales and south London within the
next fortnight, with more meetings to follow in February.
A government member said last night: "These road shows are intensifying
across government. The Cabinet are being actively encouraged to get out and
talk to party members." He added: "It's important to avoid the splits that
happened in the past between the Labour Government and the party in the
field. Obviously Iraq is the big issue at the moment and we need to carry
people with us on that."
Mr Reid, who has a gruelling schedule of constituency engagements, is
emerging as a central figure in efforts to persuade a sceptical Labour
membership over the case for a possible war. A former armed forces minister
with a hawkish outlook, he is trusted on the left and right of the party and
by union leaders. Although his instruction to the Cabinet to engage with
members did not mention Iraq explicitly, the issue is increasingly
dominating constituency meetings.
Tony Blair is expected to face heavy criticism when he addresses the
Parliamentary Labour Party today. And the Prime Minister's left-wing critics
will be further incensed by a statement by Mr Hoon, confirming he is
"minded" to allow the Fylingdales radar base in North Yorkshire to form part
of President George Bush's "son of Star Wars" missile defence shield.
Writing in The Independent, Alan Simpson, the MP for Nottingham South, warns
of the "chasm opening up in Labour's ranks". He adds: "The Prime Minister
may take Britain into America's war, but he will not take the party with
him."
© 2002 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd
|