Straw skewered by Humphrys

Jack Straw was ‘kebabbed’ by John Humphrys on BBC Radio’s Today programme this morning over the Tory demands for an inquiry into the Iraq war and its aftermath.

The Justice Secretary, usually a smooth operator, was all over the place in his defence of the Government line that it is the wrong time to have an inquiry while our boys are still in Iraq.

First he tried to argue that “it affects them psychologically”. When Humphrys asked for the evidence, Straw had none. "It's a matter of judgment," he said.

Straw then said it was "our judgment” that the right time to review this was when “our troops have finished their work". Given that that “work” could be interpreted to include future training by British soldiers of the Iraqi police and army, any inquiry could be years away.

Humphrys offered Straw another explanation for delay - the longer it goes on, the more memories will fade. "What you don't want to do,” Humphrys argued, “is to stir up those old ghosts because Iraq in the minds of most people was a colossal disaster." To which Straw had no real answer.

Straw is unveiling a constitutional package today which will include control of the civil service, judicial powers, the role of the Attorney General, and the right of Parliament to vote first before Britain goes to war. There is no guarantee, however, that next time, like the last, Parliament will not be lied to about the reasons for war before it exercises its vote.

There were about a dozen Labour rebels the last time there was a Commons vote on calls for an Iraq inquiry. Tonight some Labour MPs will vote against the Government, but it will not be enough for a defeat.

THE MOLE: IRAQ WAR

FIRST POSTED MARCH 25, 2008