MP speaks in Syria strikes debate

SOUTH West Wiltshire MP, Andrew Murrison, spoke in the House of Commons last week during the 10 hour debate that led to the UK beginning air strikes in Syria.

Dr Andrew Murrison – who has been the MP for Westbury for 14 years – has an extensive military background, having spent much of his working life in the Royal Navy, serving in Iraq in 2003, and being appointed the Government’s Minister for International Security Strategy from 2012-2014.

On Wednesday 2nd December he voted in favour of commencing air strikes on Islamic State  (ISIL) militants in Syria.

Speaking in Parliament Dr Murrison said, “The border between Syria and Iraq is not respected by our opponent. That opponent is not subject to any form of reasonable negotiation. It is a death cult.

“A person can convert and subscribe to a murderous, barbaric and medieval ideology that crucifies people, cuts off their heads and subjugates women, or they can be killed. That is the choice; there is no middle way. There are no grounds for negotiation and very, very little room for politics. I do not want to convert and I do not want to be killed and neither do my constituents, so the only way to deal with this organisation is by the use of lethal force within the comprehensive arrangements that we have discussed at length today.

“Lethal force means the involvement of our armed forces, and our armed forces are uniquely good at that kind of thing, as many of us who have been to a number of the theatres in which they have been effective recently have seen. They are better, much better, than those of our allies, however good those allies are.

“France has made a direct request. Those of us who stood in the Chamber only a few weeks ago and emoted about what was happening in Paris need to think about that very clearly. People who were happy to sing La Marseillaise and expressed solidarity, but are not prepared to support a direct request from our second closest European neighbour, need to think about that hubris, because that is what it is.

“I should like to conclude with the words of the motion, which I wholeheartedly support, and to express support and admiration for our brilliant armed forces, who are truly the best in the world. Many of them are my constituents, and need the “wholehearted support” of the whole House this evening, and I am confident that we will give it to them.”

The full transcript of Dr Murrison’s speech can be read online at
www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard