UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER An accredited institution of the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF BUSINESS, ARTS AND HUMANITIES The British Labour Party and the Break-up of Yugoslavia 1991-1995: A Historical Analysis of Parliamentary Debates by Ann Marie Schreiner Thesis for the Doctor of Philosophy This thesis has been completed as a requirement for a higher degree of the University of Southampton November 2009 'HE: WS 2281320 9 9 q.9 .. ~IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 10 .s CH " ... differences between the parties have almost disappeared. Most of the differences between the parties are on foreign affairs, and often they are greater inside the parties than between them."l "Foreign policy has always contained a reliable left-right fracture. Now the fracture was along some more obscure axis, and within both the left and the right.,,2 ~Denis Healey in an interview in TheDaily Telegraph, 24 January 2009, p20. John Majo~ writing about the break-up of Yugoslavia, in John Major - the Autobiography, (London: Harper Collms, 1999. Paperback 2000) p535. 11 UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER An accredited institution of the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON ABSTRACT FACULTY OF BUSINESS, ARTS AND HUMANITIES Doctor of Philosophy THE BRITISH LABOUR PARTY AND THE BREAK-UP OF YUGOSLAVIA 1991-1995: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES by Ann Marie Schreiner The break-up of Yugoslavia, and the ensuing wars, dominated the British foreign policy agenda for the first half of the 1990s. The way in which the British Government reacted to the series of crises was a matter of ongoing scrutiny by those within and outside of Parliament. The complex nature of the conflicts, in the early years of the post Cold War world, meant that responses by British politicians were in no way based on traditional ideological divisions, that is, M.P.s did not form neat, homogenous groups reflecting the three political currents. The Labour Party was no exception to this rule. The thesis is a study of the way in which politicians of the Labour Party responded to the break-up of Yugoslavia, and the way its M.P.s reacted to events in the region, and to the actions of the British Government. With close reference to Parliamentary debates as recorded in Hansard, the thesis shows the many and complex ways in which politicians from one British political party responded to a foreign policy episode. What is demonstrated is that a number of factors influenced the opinions of the politicians. One would expect to find some level of front and back bench division. However, what is apparent is much more complex. Whilst, in general, the Shadow Cabinet mirrored the responses of their Parliamentary opponents, of more interest is the way in which the back bench politicians contributed to debates. Some M.P.s followed the example of their senior colleagues, whereas others took totally different positions. However, the motivations for these opinions varied. It is not possible to offer a simple, generalised reading of the responses that were taken by members of the Parliamentary Labour Party. Contributions to debates were influenced by a variety of features: namely, the way in which an individual viewed an international institution such as the United Nations, NATO and the European Union; the attitude that they took towards military intervention; and finally, the way in which the events of the Second World War informed their position on a contemporary conflict. The thesis adds to the research undertaken by scholars such as Brendan Simms and Mark Phythian. Through close reference to debates in Hansard, this work offers the opportunity to gain a much more detailed understanding of the responses of one British political party to one episodein international relations. 1ll CONTENTS Abstract III Author's declaration VI Acknowledgements Vu Introduction 1 I Literature Review 22 British Politics and the Break-up of Yugoslavia 22 The Power of Stereotypes? Describing the Balkans 27 New Labour Foreign Policy 33 Pragmatism vs Ideology: Studies of the Labour Party's Traditional Approach to Foreign Policy 49 Conclusion 56 II Positioning the Conflict in the International Arena 59 Labour Party and the 'Unity' around the United Nations 59 Thinking about a New World Order - a genuine solution? 68 A European Solution? Europhile and Euro-sceptic undercurrents 72 Precursors to Blair? The Labour Party and NATO 81 Conclusion 86 III Starting to Intervene - Sanctions and Arms Embargoes 89 Humanitarian Intervention - the wider debate 92 Doing something - introducing sanctions 100 The Arms Embargo - arguments for and against 111 Conclusion 125 IV IV Acceptable Military Options? No-Fly Zones and Air Strikes 128 Supporting the No-Fly Zone 129 Support for Air Strikes 131 Against Air Strikes 148 Conclusion 157 V Do More! Demands for Further Intervention 161 Labour Warriors? Calls for Military Intervention 162 Opposing Military Action 178 Conclusion 197 VI Legacies of History: the use of Second World War 200 images in Parliamentary Debates History as a Warrant for Intervention 202 Using the Past to Condemn the Present 221 Conclusion 234 Conclusion 236 Appendix 1: Hansard Parliamentary Debates and Hansard Oral Answers 243 Sources and Bibliography 248 v Appendix B DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP ANN MARIE SCHREINER I, , [please print name] declare that the thesis entitled [enter title] THE BRITISH LABOUR PARTY AND THE BREAK-UP OF YUGOSLAVIA 1991-1995: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES and the work presented in it are my own. I confirm that: • this work was done wholly or mainly while in candidature for a research degree at this University; • where any part of this thesis has previously been submitted for a degree or any other qualification at this University or any other institution, this has been clearly stated; • where I have consulted the published work of others, this is always clearly attributed; • where I have quoted from the work of others, the source is always given. With the exception of such quotations, this thesis is entirely my own work; • I have acknowledged all main sources of help; • where the thesis is based on work done by myself jointly with others, I have made clear exactly what was done by others and what I have contributed myself; • none of this work has been published before submission ,... Signed: ~ . Date: 2?t.J.4:.1.I.p . VI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people whose support has enabled me to complete this thesis, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to thank them here. Firstly, Hugo Frey has provided a constant level of encouragement and advice during the research process. His supervision of the thesis has greatly helped me to develop my ideas and have the confidence to improve the presentation of my argument. Other members of the history department at Chichester have also offered informal advice and comment, namely, Keith Jenkins, Andrew Foster, Sue Morgan, Mark Bryant and Mandy Richardson. Carole Famfield has provided technical help with the production of the manuscript. In the early stages of research, Peter Beck gave helpful guidance. The examiners, Sue Morgan, Jonathan Charteris-Black and Noel Parker provided very useful feedback, which helped me to develop and expand the thesis. I have been lucky to have received a fees bursary from the University of Chichester history department. My research has taken me to a number of libraries. In particular, I would like to thank the staff at Senate House library of the University of London, British Library Newspapers at Colindale, the University of Sussex library, and the House of Commons library. From the University of Chichester library, I am grateful to Jane Rackstraw and Wendy Ellison for their endless patience when dealing with my enquiries. On a personal note, I would like to thank my family, Daphne, Alison and Nigel for their ongoing support and encouragement. And finally, Martha, whose arrival has made the last few months of this process particularly challenging - for all of the right reasons! vii INTRODUCTION The break-up of Yugoslavia began in 1991 and lasted until the end of the decade. This period included the wars in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia, and the later NATO action against Serbia in 1999.1 Across Europe, the outbreak of war on the continent provoked extensive debate within political and intellectual circles alike.2 This was no less the case in Britain, where the question of how to deal with events in the Balkans became a topic for regular discussion in Parliament. The Parliamentary Labour Party contributed a broad range of interpretations. As has been well documented, the party has typically included politicians from a variety of ideological strands, that is, from those representing a more traditionally social democratic position to those who espouse a socialist perspective.' These politicians provided a wealth of responses to the questions posed by the onset of the war. This thesis presents an original analysis of how they responded to an international relations crisis which brought chaos to the post Cold War world. The thesis examines parliamentary debates which focussed on the break-up of Yugoslavia during the years 1991-1995 and other related issues, for example the 1 The NATO action against Serbia was in response to the policy against the Kosovo Albanians that the Serbian Government was pursuing in Kosovo. The military campaign by the Alliance came after a rrolonged period of international diplomacy in the quest to find some form of resolution for the region. Some examples of the work which was published include: Alain Finkielkraut, Dispatchesfrom the Balkan War and Other Writings, translated by Peter S. Rogers and Richard Golsam (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1999. Part of the book was published as Comment peut-on eire croate? Editions Gallimard, 1992); and Rabia Ali and Lawrence Lifschultz (eds.), Why Bosnia? Writings on the Balkan War (Stony Creek, Connecticut: The Pamphleteer's Press, 1993).