Local MP Andrew Murrison, Minister for Defence People, Veterans, and Service Families, recently spoke in the House of Commons about Operation Telic, the name given to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which began on 20th March 2003.
Andrew Murrison used his contribution to pay tribute to those who served in the long conflict and acknowledge the long shadow it cast.
He was one of 16 Conservative MPs who opposed the war, whilst a three-line whip was used to push the then opposition into backing Operation Telic. He was among several who believed that the case for Iraq’s possession of weapons of mass destruction was unconvincing and that Iraq did not pose a serious threat to the UK’s security.
Despite opposing the war, Andrew, a Royal Navy Reservist, was called up in September 2003 to serve as a battle group medical officer near Basra during Operation Telic II.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday 20th March, he said, “Whatever one’s views of the wisdom and judgment of those who preceded us, it is unarguable that our brave men and women stepped up to the plate as only soldiers, sailors and aviators can. Despite enormous pressure, they went on to do remarkable things.
“It is their service and sacrifice that I want to reflect on tonight, as the honourable gentleman [Dan Jarvis MP] did. As I do so, and as a Wiltshire MP who represents a garrison town, I remember the silence – the silence of Royal Wootton Bassett as the flag-draped coffins rolled by. Of course, we make decisions in this place that change lives all the time, but the consequences of some are more stark, more vivid, than others.”
Pictured: Murrison in Iraq in 2003.
