An MP I was chatting to earlier said he’d wanted to call Tony Blair a “war criminal” during the Iraq War Inquiry debate today.
When he ran the idea past the Commons authorities they said he may not make it to the end of his speech if he did.
The English language was "rich enough" to say what he wanted to say, they informed him, without using words which were likely to cause a "sharp intake of breath."
UPDATE 25/06/09: Just in case you hadn't worked it out, the MP was Alan Simpson and he worked out a way to say what he wanted quite well.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
War criminal?
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4 comments:
Such a shame freedom of speech is curtailed in the 'mother of all parliaments'.
How terribly brave of that person. Should have said it and be damned. Failing that, why didn't they simply say 'some people have called Blair a war criminal'.
Nice to see the reformers getting their way and the House of Commons becoming less archaic, formal and strangled by pointless tradition and much more open to freedom of expression, honesty and a frank exchange of views.
Good for Alan Simpson; one of the few decent, honest MP's left. I've heard that he intends to step down as an MP at the next election. I hope it's not true but, if it is, at least he'll retire with his integrity intact, unlike many others.
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