Peace isn’t impossible
April 10 marked the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
I am proud of Labour’s part in the peace process, particularly of Mo Mowlam, who played a pivotal role in securing agreement, even visiting The Maze prison to persuade convicted terrorists to take part in peace talks.
But it required the commitment of those with seemingly irreconcilable differences; and the bravery of families and communities that suffered years of devastation and loss during the Troubles to finally deliver peace in Northern Ireland.
The anniversary serves as an important reminder that peaceful dialogue is never impossible.
In a world where President Trump wakes up early in the morning and tweets a threat of military action that puts America at risk of direct conflict with Russia, peace has never felt more fragile or necessary.
I know I wasn’t alone when I watched with tears in my eyes as reports came in from Douma of a chemical weapons attack that inflicted death and unimaginable suffering on the population, including young children.
It was a horrific act of terrorism in full contravention of international humanitarian law and those responsible must be held to account.
Understandably, the heart-breaking images on the news and social media provoked anger and, instinctively, people want to hit back at the Assad regime, but it is crucial that any response from the UK Government is carefully considered.
The priority must be to halt the killing on all sides.
The rush to join a US-led military attack on Syrian government forces and their allies may serve only to escalate the conflict and increase the suffering of the Syrian people.
Labour supports calls by the UN secretary general for a wider investigation of the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
What we need urgently is a coordinated international drive to achieve ceasefire, de-escalation and a negotiated political settlement under UN auspices.
The need to restart genuine negotiations for peace and a political settlement of the conflict in Syria, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces and the right of the Syrian people to determine their own future, could not be more urgent.