Recall Parliament to discuss Iraq now, say LabourList readers

Parliament should be recalled to discuss the UK’s response to the ongoing crisis in northern Iraq, according to LabourList readers. Following the call from Tom Watson here last week, we asked readers whether MPs should be brought back from recess to discuss the situation with ISIL.

68% of respondents said that the situation, which has seen thousands killed and tens of thousands stranded without food or water, needed to be addressed in the House of Commons. Part of this may be down to the suggestion that the Government may deploy troops if things deteriorate. Considering public opinion towards military intervention post-2003, it would now be very difficult to send armed forces without a Commons vote on the subject.

Recalling Parliament should not simply be read as implicit support for intervention, however. When Parliament was recalled during the summer recess last year to discuss potential military intervention in the Syrian civil war, but MPs voted against.

To hear why Labour should support military intervention in Iraq, read Gray Sergeant’s piece from Tuesday. To see why we shouldn’t, read Maya Goodfellow’s from Wednesday.

22% of readers do not think Parliament should be recalled. For some, this may be because of an anti-intervention position, while others might look at the apparent success of humanitarian aid earlier in the week as a diffusion of the situation that no longer requires the discussion of intervention.

Almost 7% wanted to see a recall for other reasons (presumably still foreign affairs – the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts have both been heavily covered in recent weeks), while 3% did not know.

As things stand, 15% of Labour’s MPs are planning to stand down at the next election. We wanted to know whether this concerned LabourList readers – does this show a worrying trend of MPs not confident of a Labour victory, or are they greybeards stepping down to let a new generation forge their way in Government?

Largely, readers are not particularly worried: 57% said they were not concerned. However, almost four in ten (38%) are uncomfortable with so many deciding to retire at once.

A new arrival in Westminster next May could be current London Mayor Boris Johnson, who announced his intention to stand next at the election. Much has been made of his announcement, as a Westminster bubble deprived of domestic politics to talk about has latched onto to his purported leadership plans.

Is Boris an unbeatable politician, a character that rises above simple politics and can reach out across the divide? Or is his clown act wearing thin?

Does his potential return give Labour something to worry about?

61% think not. A common problem for those widely considered favourites to take over their party is that they end up being “the next leader” for too long (see: Gordon Brown, David Miliband, Michael Heseltine) and Boris could well have hit upon this block – he’s old news.

34%, however, feel that he still has that magic touch – it is only two years since he polled over a million votes to be re-elected as mayor of a Labour city, on a day where Labour otherwise crushed the Tories. Perhaps he shouldn’t be underestimated.

650 people voted in this week’s survey. Thankyou to everyone who took part.