Dirty Politics New Labour, British Democracy and the Invasion of Iraq
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Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page i Critical praise for this book ‘Steve Kettell provides an incisive and important account of how the decisions made around the invasion of Iraq were not simply an aberration from the usual processes of British democracy; they were, rather, a vivid illustration of what has happened to British politics, clustered around a few personalities whose actions are shielded from proper public scrutiny. Thoroughly researched, this is the best book yet on how the disastrous decisions were taken to support Bush’s war on Iraq, and how the politicians tried in vain to cope with the collapse in public con- fidence afterwards.’ – Dr Glen Rangwala, University of Cambridge ‘Steven Kettell’s claim is stark: that, unlike the majority of his electorate, Tony Blair was committed to regime change in Iraq well before 9/11, and welcomed the invasion as a way of enhancing Britain’s global role. If true, this claim underscores the importance of another: that all this was possible only because of the cen- tralised, hierarchical and elitist nature of a British political system in need of total participatory overhaul. Controversial and provocative, this book adds an impor- tant new dimension to the contemporary debate on UK politics, and deserves to be widely read.’ – David Coates, Worrell Professor of Anglo-American Studies, Wake Forest University, North Carolina ‘This book provides a clear and accurate account of how Tony Blair and his entourage got Britain into Iraq. I agree with Kettell’s argument that this was only possible because of the undemocratic and elitist nature of the British state.’ – The Rt Hon Clare Short MP ‘The Iraq war, its causes and its consequences, has produced a number of power- ful books. This latest addition provides a comprehensive, readable and intelligent look at the ramifications of the sorry tale for British and international democracy.’ – John Kampfner, editor of the New Statesman ‘Kettell’s book, though partisan, is impressively thorough and well-researched. Not all will like his conclusions, but it is nevertheless a persuasive and important con- tribution to the debate on the biggest question-mark of the Blair premiership.’ – Dr Anthony Seldon, Brighton College ‘This important book not only effectively counters the myths surrounding British policy towards Iraq, it also reveals the elitist and centralised nature of the political system and foreign policy-making more generally. It is a must-read for anyone entertaining the notion that our system is democratic or that foreign policy is made in the public interest.’ – Mark Curtis, author of Unpeople: Britain’s Secret Human Rights Abuses (Vintage, 2004) Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page ii About the author Steven Kettell is a lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick. His research interests are focused primarily in the fields of British and international political economy. His first book, entitled the Political Economy of Exchange Rate Policy-Making, was published by Palgrave in 2004. He is also a founder and Executive Editor of the journal, British Politics. About this book Britain’s participation in the Iraq war defines one of the most tumultuous periods in its political history. Driven by a desire to enhance the influence of the British government on the world stage, the decision to support the US-led invasion has severely disrupted the stability of international rela- tions, produced rising disenchantment with the domestic political process, and threatened to undermine the continued viability of the New Labour project. Yet these developments are also indicative of a far deeper malaise. Highlighting the relatively sparse mechanisms available for scrutinising and checking the actions of the executive, the events surrounding the war have clearly exposed the flaws and weaknesses inherent in the British democratic system. Underpinned by the principles of hierarchy, centrali- sation, and elitism, British democracy is characterised by a deep-seated adherence to a top-down style of policy-making at the expense of more participatory and accountable forms of governance.With these limitations having been further amplified by the internal structures of the New Labour government itself, the consequences have left an indelible mark on Britain’s political landscape. Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page iii Dirty Politics? New Labour, British Democracy and the Invasion of Iraq Steven Kettell Zed Books LONDON AND NEW YORK Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page iv Dirty Politics? New Labour, British Democracy and the Invasion of Iraq was first published in 2006 by Zed Books Ltd, 7 Cynthia Street, London N1 9JF, UK and Room 400, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA www.zedbooks.co.uk Copyright © Steven Kettell 2006 The right of Steven Kettell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 Cover designed by Andrew Corbett Set in 10/13 pt Goudy by Long House, Cumbria, UK Printed and bound in Malta by Gutenberg Ltd Distributed in the USA exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of St Martin’s Press, LLC,175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010 All rights reserved A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library US Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 1 84277 740 8 (hb) ISBN 1 84277 741 6 (pb) ISBN 978 1 84277 740 4 (hb) ISBN 978 1 84277 741 1 (pb) Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page v Contents Acknowledgements / viii Preface /ix List of Abbreviations /x 1 Introduction: A Sign of the Times / 1 2 The Democratic Consequences of New Labour / 10 3 Iraqnophobia / 29 4 The March to War / 54 5 Engulfed / 81 6 Whiter than White / 110 7 Business as Usual / 140 8 Conclusion: The Reform Agenda / 176 Notes / 186 Bibliography / 203 Index / 209 v Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page vi Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page vii For my wife Marie Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page viii Acknowledgements First of all I would like to thank my colleagues in the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birming- ham, especially Peter Kerr, Colin Hay, and David Marsh, for all their insightful thoughts and assistance to me during the course of writing this book. Similar thanks must go to Anna Hardman, Mandy Woods, Kate Kirkwood, Pat Harper and the external reviewers at Zed, whose sugges- tions and comments were always helpful and inspiring. On a more personal note, I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to my family for everything they have done throughout the last few years, and without whose help this book would never have been possible. The one to whom I am most indebted of all, however, is as always my wife, Marie, who has put up with more long hours, bad moods, and general slovenliness than anyone has a right to expect. It is to her, therefore, that this book is dedicated. viii Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page ix Preface The events surrounding the war in Iraq acutely expose the centralised, hierarchical, and elitist nature of British democracy. Deeply embedded within the ideational and institutional contours of its political system, these underlying norms and values have shaped and influenced the emer- gence of New Labour and its governing strategy. Based on a desire to project British power across the world stage, a key component of this strategy involved the pursuit of regime change in Iraq as a means of re- ordering the global political economy in line with Britain’s ‘national interests’. Facilitated by Britain’s constitutional architecture, this policy was developed in an informal, secretive, and tightly controlled manner, involved persistent and ongoing attempts to regulate the flow of politically sensitive information, and utilised the supposed benefits of strong and decisive leadership as a means of shaping the course of political debate. Although the war was opposed by the majority of the British people, these measures not only helped to reduce scrutiny of the government’s actions, but effectively enabled it to avoid the ultimate sanction of accountability itself. ix Kettell 00 prelims 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page x Abbreviations CIA Central Intelligence Agency CBW Chemical and Biological Weapons DIS Defence Intelligence Staff DOP Ministerial Committee on Defence and Overseas Policy ECGD Export Credits Guarantee Department EU European Union FAC Foreign Affairs Committee HCLC House of Commons Liaison Committee IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency ISC Intelligence and Security Committee ISG Iraq Survey Group JIC Joint Intelligence Committee MoD Ministry of Defence NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation PAC Public Administration Committee SCI Senate Committee on Intelligence THI The Hutton Inquiry UN United Nations UNMOVIC United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspections Commission WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction x Kettell 01-04 12/1/06 9:19 pm Page 1 1 Introduction: A Sign of the Times A case of dirty politics? In March 2003 Britain joined forces with the United States of America to launch an invasion of Iraq.The official aim in so doing was to rid Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and to help reduce the prospects of a devastating confluence between rogue states and the forces of international terrorism. The ramifications of this conflict, how- ever, proved to be far wider than anyone could have predicted. Indeed, the events surrounding the war have since not only come to define the era of Tony Blair’s premiership, but are now seen to demark one of the most tumultuous periods in Britain’s entire political history.