'Stricter Rules Needed Around Decision To Go To War'

A committee of MPs claims tougher rules are needed to prevent a Prime Minister taking the country to war without adequate Cabinet consultation.

The Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) says that a key finding of the Chilcot inquiry into the run-up to the Iraq War regarding a lack of Cabinet discussion had not been acted on.

Currently, the Cabinet Secretary is responsible for ensuring important decisions are properly scrutinised and if their advice is ignored or rejected by the Prime Minister the only action they can take is to resign.

The committee of MPs says this should change so that the Cabinet Secretary can ask the Prime Minister for a written ministerial direction to ignore the normal decision-making process and then be able to make the situation known to Parliament if they feel necessary.

The report states: "If the Cabinet Secretary asks for such a direction, it should be at his or her discretion whether this direction should be made immediately known to Parliament, or, in matters relating to national security, notified to nominated independent Privy Counsellors and released to Parliament later.

PACAC chairman Bernard Jenkin said:

"In 2002 Tony Blair promised George Bush that 'I will be with you, whatever' committing the UK to war in Iraq without consulting the foreign and defence secretaries, let alone the rest of the Cabinet.

"Fifteen years later there are still no safeguards in place within the Government."

The report also called for the ministerial code to be updated and set out a list of matters that would normally be subject to collective agreement.

A spokesman said the Government spokesman will consider the report's findings.

"Ministers are accountable to Parliament and civil servants accountable to Ministers. Blurring these lines would risk undermining existing lines of accountability," said the spokesman.

"The Cabinet Secretary supports the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, helping to ensure there is robust system so the most important decisions are taken on a collective basis, ensuring that key interests across Government are taken into account."