QC Cherie's chambers add weight to impeachment case for Blair

[struggle4progress]

Sep 23 2004
Daniel Davies, The Western Mail

THE likelihood of Tony Blair standing trial before Parliament to answer charges he lied about Iraq moved a step closer yesterday, when his wife's law firm ruled there was no legal impediment to stop it.

Cherie Blair's Matrix Chambers said, "There is, on the material before us, a case to answer that the Prime Minister was guilty of a serious breach of constitutional principles." <snip>

Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price said, "We have continuously maintained that the Prime Minister has a case to answer over his conduct in relation to the invasion of Iraq, and now we have the legal opinion to prove we were correct. <snip>

Elfyn Llwyd MP, the parliamentary leader of Plaid Cymru, said, "The legal opinion we are publishing today vindicates our longstanding objection to the Prime Minister's justification for invading Iraq. <snip>

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/newspolitics/tm_objectid=14673558&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=qc-cherie-s-chambers-add-weight-to-impeachment-case-for-blair-name_page.html


Lawyers say PM could be impeached over Iraq
Richard Norton-Taylor
Thursday September 23, 2004
The Guardian

Parliament has the power to impeach Tony Blair over his decision to invade Iraq, lawyers acting for an all-party campaign to use the ancient right say today. <snip>

The charge they lay against the prime minister is: "Misleading parliament as to the basis for military action against Iraq so as to obtain from that body (and its individual members) support for the conflict which would not necessarily have been forthcoming, in contravention of the fundamental constitutional principle of ministerial accountability to parliament."

The lawyers were responding to a report drawn up for the campaign saying that there are three grounds for impeaching the prime minister - the claims he made before the war about Iraqi weapons, his failure to tell MPs about new intelligence correcting those claims, and, that Mr Blair entered into a secret agreement with President George Bush to go to war without the consent of the cabinet, parliament, or the British people. <snip>

They are confident the Commons Speaker will allow a debate on the issue even though there is little chance of the impeachment process going any further.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1310447,00.html


2:49am (UK)
'Impeach Blair' MP Gives Keynote Conference Speech
By Tomos Livingstone, Welsh Affairs Correspondent, PA News

Plaid Cymru is gathering for its annual conference in Llandudno today with the man leading attempts to impeach Prime Minister Tony Blair set to take centre stage.

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Adam Price says the bid to put the Prime Minister on trial over the Iraq war is supported by 21 MPs so far and has been endorsed by legal experts.

Mr Price is due to give a keynote speech at the conference today. <snip>

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3534739


The case for impeachment
There is no doubt Blair misled parliament over the war
Dan Plesch
Wednesday September 22, 2004
The Guardian

<snip> First, Tony Blair made many statements relating to the Iraq war that we now know were contradicted by the very sources - such as reports from the Joint Intelligence Committee - he claimed to rely on. The list runs to 40 pages in the report I prepared with Glen Rangwala, the WMD expert, for Adam Price.

Second, any reasonable person would conclude that some or all of his statements were misleading. Third, there is a clear constitutional standard requiring ministers to resign for such conduct.

Fourth, the pre-Iraq standard of resignation was applied to the MPs Beverley Hughes and Peter Mandelson. Hughes resigned because she forgot she had received one letter. Mandelson resigned first because he did not give proper information to his civil servants about a private loan, and again because there was a dispute about whether or not he had made a phone call to another minister. A reasonable person would conclude that the prime minister's misleading statements are far more numerous and serious than the above.

Fifth, Blair remains in office, refusing any examination of his conduct. Sixth, if he gets away with it, a new constitutional precedent will have been established, namely that misleading the country is acceptable. Seventh, constitutional authorities such as Erskine May describe how impeachment can be used as a last resort. <snip>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1309807,00.html

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Ruh-roh...

Bush better start prayin' he's going to lose or he'll be following the same path as ole' Tony.

One of the things I've been noticing all along with Iraq is what happens in the UK seems to repeat itself over here shortly after.

[AndyTiedye]

2. Now THAT Would be a Nasty October Surprise for Boosh

Having the Bliar facing IMPEACHMENT for doing exactly what Boosh did!

[fortyfeetunder]

3. We can only hope something goes down

Before the election.

However, if Bush goes down, Cheney would be President. Oh right, he's the ventriloquist of the act.

[Kimber Scott]

5. Cheney: The best life insurance a president could ever have.

Nothing will happen to any of them. When they're done raping and pillaging the world to line their own pockets with, they'll be off to fine retirements and library building.

[aquart]

4. Plaid Cymru?

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Welsh for 'Party of Wales'

they have 4 MPs in Westminster, I believe. Ultimately they want Welsh independence, but aren't too strident about it (there's not enough interest in the population yet).

[burrowowl]

6. Would be nice to see

Blair impeached. But would it be reported in the U$ press?

[T_i_B]

8. Impeachment by numbers

As with Clinton, attempts to oust Blair could leave the leader stronger

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1292638,00.html