Robin Cook resigns over Iraq attack

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday March 18, 2003 02:16 by Daithi

'I know of no sister party within the European Union that shares our position'

This is Robin Cook's letter of resignation. His speech to the House of Commons - where he calls for a vote against the Government and discusses the illegality of the US/UK planned attack - is available via the BBC (no official transcript until tomorrow) at http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/cta/events03/ukpol/hoc/cook17mar.ram (video). Other coverage at http://www.guardian.co.uk/Politics/iraq/story/0,12956,916363,00.html (Guardian) and UK Indymedia - http://uk.indymedia.org/ .

At cabinet for some weeks I have been frank about my concern over embarking on military action in the absence of multilateral support. I applaud the heroic efforts that you and Jack [Straw] have put into the attempt to secure a second resolution at the UN.

It is not your fault that those attempts have failed. However, the evident importance that we attached to a second resolution makes it all the more difficult now to proceed without one, and without agreement in any other international forum.

As I cannot give my support to military action in these circumstances, I write with regret to resign.

You and I have both made the case over the years for an international order based on multilateral decisions through the UN and other forums. In principle I believe it is wrong to embark on military action without broad international support. In practice I believe it is against Britain's interests to create a precedent for unilateral military action.

As our foreign secretary I was impressed by the energy and skill with which you ended Britain's isolation in Europe and achieved for our country equal status and influence to Germany or France. I am dismayed that once again Britain is divided from our major European neighbours. As president of the party of European socialists, of which the Labour party is a member, it troubles me that I know of no sister party within the European Union that shares our position.

I regret leaving my post as leader of the House of Commons, in which I have had two fulfilling years modernising the procedures of a parliament for which I have a deep affection. I also am proud of the real achievement of your government. Among those many achievements, I take particular satisfaction from our record on delivering devolution, investing in hospitals and tackling poverty among children.

All of these have only been made possible by your successful leadership and two record election victories which were your personal achievement. You will continue to have my personal support as leader of our party. I am only too sorry that our differences on the present crisis mean that I can no longer continue to serve you in cabinet.

Yours sincerely,

Robin.