Product Description

Britain's participation in the Iraq war defines one of the most tumultuous periods in its political history. Driven by a desire to enhance the influence of the British government on the world stage, the decision to support the US-led invasion has severely disrupted the stability of international relations, produced rising disenchantment with the domestic political process, and has threatened to undermine the continued viability of the New Labour project. Yet these developments are also indicative of a far-deeper malaise. The events surrounding the war have clearly exposed the flaws and weaknesses that are inherent within the British democratic system. A deep-seated adherence to a top-down style of policy-making at the expense of more participatory and accountable forms of governance has been amplified by the internal structures of the New Labour government itself. The consequences have left an indelible mark on Britain's political landscape that will endure for many years.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #582085 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
'Steve Kettell provides an incisive and important account of how the decisions made around the invasion of Iraq were not simply an aberration from the usual processes of British democracy. They were instead a vivid illustration of what has happened to British politics, clustered around a few personalities whose actions are shielded from proper public scrutiny. Thoroughly researched, this is the best book yet on how the disastrous decision were taken to support Bush's war on Iraq, and how the politicians tried in vain to cope with the collapse in public confidence afterwards.' Dr Glen Rangwala, University of Cambridge 'The Iraq war, its causes and its consequences, has produced a number of powerful books. This latest addition provides a comprehensive, readable and intelligent look at the ramifications of the sorry tale for British and international democracy.' - John Kampfner, Editor of the New Statesman 'This book provides a clear and accurate account of how Tony Blair and his entourage got Britain into Iraq. I agree with Kettell's argument that this was only possible because of the undemocratic and elitist nature of the British state'. The Rt Hon Clare Short MP 'This important book not only effectively counters the myths surrounding British policy towards Iraq, it also reveals the elitist and centralised nature of the political system and foreign policy-making more generally. It is a must-read for anyone entertaining the notion that our system is democratic or that foreign policy is made in the public interest - Mark Curtis 'Kettell's book, though partisan, is impressively thorough and well-researched. Not all will like his conclusions, but it is nevertheless a persuasive and important contribution to the debate on the biggest question mark of the Blair premiership.' - Dr Anthony Seldon, Brighton College 'Steven Kettell's claim is stark: that unlike the majority of his electorate, Tony Blair was committed to regime change in Iraq well before 9/11, and welcomed the invasion as a way of enhancing Britain's global role. If true, this claim underscores the importance of another: that all this was possible only because of the centralised, hierarchical and elitist nature of a British political system in need of total participatory overhaul. Controversial and provocative, this book adds an important new dimension to the contemporary debate on UK politics, and deserves to be widely read.' - David Coates, Worrell Professor of Anglo-American Studies, Wake Forest University, North Carolina

About the Author
Steven Kettell lectures on British politics at the University of Warwick. His research interests are focused in British and international political economy. He previously published The Political Economy of Exchange Rate Policy-Making (Palgrave 2004). He is the editor of the Journal of British Politics.

Customer Reviews

Superb study of Labour's dirty war and dirty politics
Steven Kettell, a lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick, has written a superb study of the Labour government and its assault on Iraq.

In late 1997, the Joint Intelligence Committee reported that the `vast majority' of Iraq's WMD had been eliminated by the international inspectors. In October 2001, Blair told the Observer that Iraq was `still trying to acquire' a WMD capability. That meant, as Colin Powell admitted, that Iraq did not actually have `any significant capability with respect to WMD'. Yet the government still lied to us that Iraq was a threat to the Middle East, to Britain and to the world.

The government tried to blame the war on the French government. It also smeared those who tried to tell the truth about its warmongering, especially the BBC and Dr David Kelly. As cover for its illegal aggression, it cynically invoked the roadmap to peace in the Middle East, lying that war in Iraq would bring peace in Palestine.

Instead, the war has brought carnage and chaos to Iraq and to Palestine, and also to London. Two thirds of the British people think that the 2005 London bombings were linked to Britain's role in the war on Iraq, a view that Blair called `nonsense'. Even MI5's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre acknowledged that Iraq had become `a dominant issue' for Islamic extremists and warned that the war acted `as a focus of a range of terrorist related activities in Britain'.

The attack on Iraq was clear evidence that the British state is undemocratic. The Labour government, Kettell concludes, has used "a depoliticised neoliberal framework, unrelenting media manipulation, rigorous internal party discipline, and a distinctly presidential style of government." The parliamentary vote on the proposed aggression showed that MPs represent the state to the people, not the people to the state. The ruling class uses its state to rule in defiance of majority opinion on the war, as on the issues of immigration, of protecting our industry and of so much else.

The attack on Iraq was no aberration. It was typical of a secretive, ruthless, greedy and arrogant ruling class which has waged wars across the world, from Indonesia and Malaya in the 1940s to Iraq in the 2000s. The attack on Iraq was only different because we have, at last, started to rumble their lies.