Straw praises Tories for their silence on Al Yamamah
Her Majesty’s Opposition must be feeling very proud after Jack Straw, the Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal and former Foreign Secretary, praised their refusal to criticise the Government over the Al Yamamah arms deal controversy.
My Straw had been challenged in the House of Commons by David Heath, his Liberal Democrat shadow, for a statement on the issue:
Last week, I asked the Leader of the House about the Ministry of Defence’s involvement in the al-Yamamah affair. It is ironic that the United States Congress is taking more interest in the matter than the House of Commons. The Attorney-General has now written to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North-East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell) saying that the decision to withhold vital information from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development was taken by officials rather than by accountable Ministers—decisions that were politically inept and clearly unsustainable. I renew my request for a statement on the matter.
David Heath also asked the Government to get behind Lord Chidgey’s Corruption Bill, which the House of Lords approved last week.
Mr Straw rejected criticism of the Government over Al Yamamah and gave the Conservatives “great credit” for laying off the issue.
Posted in David Heath, Lord Chidgey |
