Gordon Brown: Iraq War was ‘right decision for right reason’

STV

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has concluded giving evidence to the Iraq Inquiry.

Mr Brown spent the day answering questions from Sir John Chilcot and his panel about his role in the conflict. Mr Brown ended his evidence session by paying tribute to those who had lost their lives in the conflict, while emphasising the need to ensure that lessons were learned.

"We have got to recognise that war may be necessary, but it is also tragic in the effect it has on people's lives," he said. "These were difficult decisions, these were decisions that required judgment, these were decisions that required strong leadership, these were decisions that were debated and divided a lot of opinion in the country.

"I believe they were the right decisions for the right reasons but I also believe it is our duty to learn the lessons from what has happened. I want to end up emphasising that the soldiers and civilians who gave their lives in Iraq, they deserve both our sympathy and our debt of gratitude.

"No one who makes the decisions that cabinets and governments have to make can do so without recognising that lives are affected and sometimes lives are lost as a result of the big decisions and the big challenges we have got to meet."

The Prime Minister, who was Chancellor at the time of the Iraq war, said he was "aware of what was happening" as Britain edged closer to the conflict but was kept in the dark about some key developments. The Prime Minister said his predecessor Tony Blair would often discuss the "options" surrounding the conflict with other Cabinet figures.

But Mr Brown said he wasn’t present at every meeting. During his evidence, it also emerged Mr Brown did not know attorney general Lord Goldsmith had wavered on a decision to give legal backing for the war, had not seen private letters sent by Mr Blair to US president George Bush assuring British support for any military action, and was not present at all war cabinet meetings.

IN DETAIL

Mr Brown insisted that Cabinet had been "informed fully" about the process of negotiations ahead of the invasion. But, in his evidence to the panel, he indicated that he was not at the heart of the decision-making process.

Former international development secretary Clare Short told the inquiry previously that Mr Brown was "marginalised" in the run-up to the invasion. He said: "In the different committees, obviously the Prime Minister was talking to the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary about the options," said Mr Brown. "I was not involved in those discussions but I was aware of what was happening."

The inquiry heard that Mr Brown was not shown an "options paper" to outline various choices for dealing with Iraq, from continuing sanctions to launching regime change. The Prime Minister said: "I don't recall seeing that paper. My main involvement in looking at the options started from June."

He added: "I don't think I needed to see every paper."

Although unaware of the attorney general's change of heart over the legality of the invasion, Mr Brown said this would not have affected his decision once "unequivocal" backing had been given. "I don't think it would have changed my view," he said.