Calls to recall Parliament are a regular feature of the long summer recessevery year, and the current clamour for a recall of Parliament to discussthe current crisis in the Middle East has been dismissed by some as a knee-jerk reaction, particularly as the House of Commons had a debate onthe issue just before it rose for the summer.

But the current crisis is one that fully justifies a recall, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is clear that grass-roots opinion in this country is horrified at the daily scenes of slaughter caused by attacks on innocent civilians. Like other MPs, I have been inundated with calls from constituents who want me, as their representative, to ensure that their concerns are voiced, and are bewildered and angry that MPs have no way of voicing those concerns in a collective fashion. Secondly, and more significantly, there is little doubt that public opinion is at odds with the policy of the British government on the current crisis. The perceived alignment of the British government with the Bush administration and the tacit backing for Israel’s actions in Lebanon is one which does not have the backing of the public, and it certainly does not have the backing of a large number of MPs, including the majority of Labour MPs (as well as Labour Party members and trade unions). This lack of support for the policy was apparent in the House of Commons debate three weeks ago. Given that the views expressed in that debate do not appear to have had much effect so far in changing the government’s policy, then it is even more appropriate that there should be an opportunity for MPs to make clear in
no uncertain terms that there is a need for a change of government policy on Lebanon and the current crisis. A recall of Parliament, therefore, would be an opportunity not just to wring hands in despair, but a positive opportunity to influence the approach which should be taken by this government at international level on the issue.

Last, but certainly not least, a recall of Parliament would allow Parliament to give voice to the widespread concern that the current crisis could spiral out of control into a wider conflict which could engulf the entire Middle East with consequences for the entire world (and this week’s security alert at Britain’s airports is a timely reminder of how our daily lives in the UK are intimately linked with what happens in the wider world).

It certainly seems clear that there are some in Israel and the USA who would like to see the current crisis escalate into an all-out military conflict aimed at bringing down the current regimes in Iran and Syria. Even if that is not the intention of the US administration (and I’m sure it is not the intention of the British government), the risk of that escalation occurring as a result of a wider and wider extension of the current war is only too clear. The consequences just for Britain and British interests surely justify giving MPs a chance to send a clear message to government that people in this country do not want to see that escalation, and instead of a ratcheting up of the conflict, they want to see a de-escalation of the crisis, and a renewed focus on efforts to settle the underlying causes of the current conflict – not least a just and equitable settlement in Palestine. It is surely right for MPs to be able to express those views before there is any further escalation of the conflict.