Why we had to act in Syria
By the time you read this, we will know the result of the Highland Perthshire council by-election, following the sad death of Ian Campbell.
However, at the time of writing the by-election is still a few days away and, therefore, we do not know who the next councillor for Highland Perthshire will be.
Nonetheless I have had the pleasure of campaigning with, and getting to know, the excellent Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidate, John Duff, and I am sure that if he is elected he will make an excellent councillor.
Whoever does get elected I want to wish them well and hope they enjoy the enormous privilege of representing their community.
It’s not often I address international issues in these pages, preferring instead to focus upon local and national issues impacting our constituency, but I want to share with you the experiences and debates of the past week relating to our military action in Syria.
The political and military situation in Syria is complicated and although I am wary about ever committing British forces abroad, I believe the“red line”laid down by the international community on the use of chemical weapons must be upheld.
The use of chemical weapons has been banned in international law since the end of the First World War, the centenary of which we commemorate this year, and so there is a long-established precedent opposing their use.
Last Saturday’s action was not about regime change, changing the outcome of the Syrian Civil War, or a declaration of war or an invasion. It was a targeted attack against the facilities that produce the chemicals used in the attack.
It was President Obama, back in 2013, who declared Assad’s use of chemical weapons against his own people was“a red line”, but then failed to enforce it.
If we declare red lines then we should be willing to enforce that stance if necessary.
By failing to act in 2013 we gave Assad impunity to act as he liked, and, although I am very cautious about committing the UK to any major military action after Iraq, I support the government taking action on this occasion.
Furthermore, I know there has been criticism from political opponents regarding the lack of consultation with parliament ahead of the strike last Friday, but under the Royal Prerogative, the power to order military strikes firmly rests with the prime minister and government, with parliament holding that government to account for the actions they have taken.
In the event of a complete war, parliament should be consulted prior to a full declaration of war being called. However, in this instance, as with Sierra Leone and Kosovo before it, it was the prime minister and government’s call to make.
Theresa May should also be commended for the way she has worked with an international coalition on this action, alongside France and USA.
This is all the more impressive in the context of Brexit, which caused many to warn the United Kingdom would no longer be able to command the support of our European allies.
Finally, I wish to welcome Councillor Murray Lyle to his post as the new leader of Perth and Kinross Council. Murray has been an excellent councillor in the Strathallan ward in my constituency and I am sure he will serve the people of Perth and Kinross as well as he has served everyone in Strathallan.
As always, if you have any issues/concerns please contact me at my office on 2 Comrie Street, Crieff or by email – luke.grahamoffice@ parliament.uk A pilot prepares for the mission last week