An Honourable Deception?: New Labour, Iraq, and the Misuse of Power Book

Clare Short former Secretary of State for International Development resigned from her position within the cabinet because of her opposition to Tony Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq. In her frank and detailed memoirs, Ms Short explains why she felt the invasion of Iraq was unlawful due to a failure to try to get a second UN resoloution; undemocratic, because of the failure to consult the full cabinet and get a full consensus of opinion, and immoral because of the lack of planning following occupation. As well as being the first politician to suggest parliament was misled prior to the vote on the Iraq war, she details some of her disappointments in how new labour developed dictatorial authoritarian politics in frantic media responses, rather than evidence based policy making by balanced consideration of the competing influences in the best interests of the public. Read More