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Symons says strikes against Iran not acceptable

27 April 2005

In a speech given at Chatham House The Rt Hon Baroness Symons, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, underlined Jack Straw's assurances that a US air strike on Iran would not be supported by a third term Labour government. She also denied the government has tacitly condoned human rights abuses in Guantanamo Bay.


All three parties were represented at a Chatham House event today where spokespeople were given the opportunity to highlight their party's post-election foreign affairs priorities.


From the Liberal Democrats, Air Marshall, Lord Tim Garden KCB, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Defence, criticised the Conservative's foreign affairs manifesto, singling out the party's inward looking approach to international affairs. Conversely Lord Garden praised the Labour party manifesto conceding that the great majority of prospective foreign policy of a third term Labour government would be in line with that of the Liberal Democrats. The major divergence on this line, however, was the adherence to International Law, something Lord Garden accused the Labour party of failing to do over the last seven years.


In his speech to the floor, The Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guildford, Opposition Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, chose to speak of his party's concerns over further EU integration. He pledged that a Conservative government wouldn't simply turn to Europe when looking for strategic allies on issues such as global trade and defence, arguing that both Asia and the Commonwealth countries offered the UK a viable alternative to greater integration with the European Union.


Notes for editors:

Wednesday 27 April 13.30-14.30
Foreign Policy in the Next Government
Air Marshall Lord Garden, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Defence
The Rt Hon Lord Howell Of Guildford, Opposition Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs
The Rt Hon Baroness Symons, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Chair: Lyse Doucett, Presenter, BBC News


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