In a previous article, I said I would decide whether to support the Government in extending military action against ISIL/Daesh into Syria once I had seen the motion. The motion is here and it is as follows (layout and emphasis my own): That this House notes that ISIL poses a direct […]
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Syria: The Prime Minister’s response the Foreign Affairs Select Committee
Last night on Wycombe Sound, I promised to make available the Prime Minister’s response to the Foreign Affairs Committee’s inquiry on Syria. The inquiry produced the report The extension of offensive British military operations to Syria (PDF). It concluded: In the face of a humanitarian and security catastrophe, there is a powerful sense […]
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Syria vote – update
I’m grateful to all the constituents who have written to me since the vote to approve in principle military action in Syria, in which I voted against. An overwhelming majority of correspondents have approved of that decision, just as they have also condemned the use of chemical weapons. We all want […]
Read More Government-bench MPs were decisive in moderating policy on Syria
Anyone reading the BBC news site this morning might think Labour, the party which led us into Iraq, had saved the day. Via BBC News – MPs debate Syria after ministers drop quick vote on action: MPs are set to debate military action in Syria in principle only, after the […]
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Remembrance Day prayers
By convention, the MP for Wycombe leads prayers in All Saints’ Church on Remembrance Day and I feel privileged to be allowed to continue the tradition. These are the prayers I used today: Let us give thanks for those who, in the day of decision, ventured their all for the liberty […]
Read MoreA call for non-aggression towards Iran
Today, the Commons will debate this motion brought forward by John Baron MP: That this House believes that the use of force against Iran would be wholly counter-productive and would serve only to encourage any development of nuclear weapons; and calls upon the Government to rule out the use of […]
Read MoreRemembrance Day
Let us give thanks for those who, in the day of decision, ventured their all for the liberty that we now enjoy. May we strive to maintain freedom in our nation, in Europe and in the world, and to safeguard the peace which was won at such cost. Today, I will […]
Read MoreLibya and the War Powers Act – NYTimes.com
Via Libya and the War Powers Act – NYTimes.com, comment on Obama’s conflict with Congress over whether US participation is within his authority: It would be hugely costly — for this country’s credibility, for the future of NATO and for the people of Libya — if Congress were to force President […]
Read MoreNew Deal in Old Rome
From the Mises store: How Government in the Ancient World Tried to Deal with Modern Problems What a fantastic way to learn ancient history: via the parallels with modern times. H.J. Haskell was a journalist with a huge background in ancient history, and here he does what everyone has wanted […]
Read More“1945-1998” by Isao Hashimoto: a history of nuclear detonations
Via “1945-1998” by Isao Hashimoto, a thought-provoking video which puts a particular context on nuclear detonations and radiation: This piece of work is a bird’s eye view of the history by scaling down a month length of time into one second. No letter is used for equal messaging to all […]
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