Caroline to PM: Recall Parliament over Middle East crisis

 
The Prime Minister returned from holiday today over the crisis in Iraq and Syria, in the wake of the killing of US journalist James Foley by ISIL militants.
 
Caroline told Mr Cameron the questioning of Ministers “should not be left to journalists”, adding that MPs must have the opportunity to debate the escalating crisis and Britain’s position.
 
She said that Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond’s appearance on this morning’s Today Programme of Radio 4 raised more questions than it answered.
 
“The UK’s policy is not clear,” she said. “When the worrying lack of clarity about our strategy in the Middle East was put to the Foreign Secretary on the Today Programme, Mr Hammond stated:
 
‘…our strategy regarding ISIL is very clear, we need to contain it, we need to push it back, we need to counter the poisonous ideology that it promotes…’
 
“MPs must have the chance to ask questions on the Parliamentary record about how we best counter the brutal ideology of ISIL. We must have the opportunity to push further on the many questions that the escalating crisis – both in Iraq and in Syria and Gaza – poses.”
 
She said the Government must break its silence on the UK’s asylum policy amid the crisis.
 
She said: “There is the need for an urgent debate around what help and support the UK will provide to refugees. The Government must respond positively to pleas for asylum provision to be made for those needing sanctuary from Iraq in the UK – yet so far it has remained silent.”
 
The full content of Caroline’s Letter to the Prime Minister is available here.

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