Exclusive Interview — Sir Ed Davey warns UK must learn from Iraq War as Iran conflict escalates

Zahra Adoul

The UK government must heed the lessons of the Iraq War as the conflict with Iran escalates, the leader of the Liberal Democrats has warned.

Speaking during a Liberal Democrat iftar gathering at London’s Regent’s Park Mosque on March 9, Sir Ed said he welcomed the government’s current reluctance to participate directly in military action, but insisted ministers must be held accountable throughout the crisis.

While appearing to welcome Sir Keir Starmer’s decision not to join US-Israeli offensive strikes on Iran, Sir Ed Davey said he would hold the Prime Minister to account throughout the conflict to prevent a repeat of the controversial 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Starmer has previously stated that the UK “does not believe in regime change from the skies” and has insisted that lessons were learned from the Iraq War. However, 11 days into the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, the UK allowed US forces to use British bases for what officials described as “limited defensive purposes” while refraining from directly participating in the operation.

Speaking to attendees at the iftar, Sir Ed welcomed the government’s current stance on Iran, noting it marked a clear departure from the approach taken in 2003. He reflected on the Iraq War, saying the Liberal Democrats, under then-leader Charles Kennedy, had opposed it and warned of the instability and human cost that would follow. “

We warned of the instability, the violence and the deaths that would follow if it went ahead. We voted against it in the House of Commons,” he said. He added, “I was not happy that we were right. It caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people,” emphasising the tragic consequences of the conflict.

Sir Ed also said the current crisis had prompted him to revisit the findings of the Iraq Inquiry led by Sir John Chilcot. “As a reflection of what is happening in Iran, I went back to read the summary of the Iraq Inquiry,” he said. He noted that many lessons from Iraq had still not been learned and that the echoes of past mistakes were “chilling,” adding that the failure to act on these lessons in previous inquiries was “quite shocking.”

In an exclusive interview with The Muslim News, Sir Ed argued the Liberal Democrats had maintained a consistent stance on major international conflicts. “We’ve been consistent in our approach on big issues,” he said.

“We led the campaign against the Iraq War. At the moment, we’ve also been among the strongest critics of President Trump, both before and since the appalling attack on Iran.”

Speaking ahead of the local elections in May, Sir Ed also appealed to Muslim voters, insisting that the party’s principles closely aligned with the values of many Muslim communities.

“I think our values are the closest to Muslim values actually, in terms of supporting not just peace but also respecting every individual human being,” he said.

“I hope people from whichever community engage with the Liberal Democrats, but particularly the Muslim community, will see that and feel that.” He added that the party had been active in efforts to combat Islamophobia in the UK.

“Here in the UK, we have, in many ways, led campaigns against Islamophobia, working across parties,” he said. “I hope that both in terms of our values and what we stand for, and what we want to do for all communities in the UK and for a more peaceful world, people will look at us and say: these people speak for us.”

Hina Bokhari, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member who organised the event, said she was proud of the party’s record on issues affecting Muslim communities.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is that the Liberal Democrats were the first party to accept the definition of Islamophobia proposed by the APPG on British Muslims,” she told The Muslim News.

She added that the party’s stance on international conflicts and humanitarian issues reflected its core principles. “Their positioning when it comes to international issues and humanitarian rights has always been part of the DNA of the party,” she said.