 | 'The belief that in an age of international conflict and terrorism it is more important than ever that Britain's foreign policy should have an 'ethical dimension' and that 'our interests are best protected not by unilateral action but by multilateral agreement and a world order governed by rules.' Rt Hon Robin Cook. |  |
LABOUR chiefs are facing a major row today over claims that they have sabotaged plans for a special debate in memory of Robin Cook in which grass-roots activists planned to embarrass the Prime Minister on Iraq.
Nineteen constituency parties have backed a motion calling for the debate, in which Cook's anti-Blairite views on Iraq, public sector reform and foreign policy would be voted on.
However, the plan has been scrubbed from the conference agenda, leaving Cook's supporters to claim that the leadership were engaged in "control-freakery".
The party hierarchy has instead proposed an alternative tribute, at which Jim Devine, the Labour candidate selected to replace Cook, is expected to speak.
Critics claim that Devine is being "used" by party chiefs to try to avoid the far more damaging debate they wish to hold.
Willie Sullivan, a member of Compass, the left-wing think-tank behind the plans for the debate, said: "We wanted to ensure Robin's legacy by pushing the party in the direction he wanted it to go in.
"I think they basically want to use Jim to pay this tribute to Robin," he added.
The original debate contained several motions which could have proven deeply embarrassing for Blair if they had been passed.
It included a motion, quoting Cook, upholding "the belief that in an age of international conflict and terrorism it is more important than ever that Britain's foreign policy should have an 'ethical dimension' and that 'our interests are best protected not by unilateral action but by multilateral agreement and a world order governed by rules'."
Devine declined to comment on the row yesterday.
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