City MP in Iraq rumpus

Nov 1 2006 By Jonathan Walker, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM MP Khalid Mahmood caused uproar in the Commons when he suggested that members calling for an inquiry into Iraq might encourage attacks on civilians.

The highly-charged comments were made during a heated debate on Iraq.

Scottish and Welsh nationalists, supported by Tories and Liberal Democrats, led calls for an inquiry into the Government's conduct in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and into the war and occupation.

But they were accused by Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, of "sending the wrong signals".

Mr Mahmood (Lab, Perry Barr) intervened to support her, saying: "The real issue here today is the huge amount of Iraqi lives that have been lost, and those lives have been taken by the insurgents."

"There are a huge amount of people in Iraq who are losing their lives. What the Honourable Members opposite have done today is to inflame that process."

Opposition MPs shouted at Mr Mahmood to withdraw the comments and the Deputy Speaker, Sylvia Heal, advised him to "rethink".

Calls for an inquiry were defeated by 298 votes to 273. ..SUPL: