Urgent Debate: UK Air Strikes in Syria

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:46 pm on 18 April 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Simon Thomas Mr Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru 7:46, 18 April 2018

I've heard something similar, and I think we have a different problem with President Macron and what he's trying to project in terms of the French status here. And I won't go down the route that's been suggested to me sotto voce there. But, if that is the case, then surely wiser heads should have prevailed on President Macron. He could not actually have taken unilateral intervention in Syria. I know they have a history there, I know they have offensive positions there, but, in effect, that would have been extremely dangerous, as, I think, David Melding realises, and I think the Russians would have felt very differently about a response to an unilateral intervention by France, rather than what eventually persuaded—. The fact that four countries came together enabled this, in a sense, to happen, and we shouldn't have given our name to it; we shouldn't have allowed it to happen.

It has been a serious debate. I think the general points around whether we debate enough some foreign policy that does effect on our citizens—Yemen has been mentioned; I would add Afrin and the attacks of Turkey in Iraq to this as well, because that is also something that impinges directly on families and refugees that are here in Wales. We can't debate them every time. Yes, it's Westminster that decides these issues. But, from time to time, we have to do a very simple thing. We have to be the Parliament for Wales, we have to be the Parliament that reflects what's being debated on the streets and what's really concerning people. Sometimes we're not able to answer all those questions and sometimes we're frustrated perhaps by what the First Minister does or what other members of the Government do on our behalf. But the quid pro quo about that is that we must be allowed to debate this and must be allowed to at least voice our concerns and make them very clear. I'm very grateful for everyone who has spoken—I thought it was a decent debate and a good debate and I think those who have participated in it will be able to at least tell their constituents and those concerned about offensive military action, and any potential future military action—. Because, having set a precedent, we have to ask ourselves what happens now if there's a limited release of chlorine gas in one part of Syria or another use of a particularly offensive kind of weapon. Having had that, at least we are now better positioned and better understand our fellow Assembly Members' positions, but also, perhaps, asking ourselves exactly how we stand on these issues.