Inverness pupils hear from former Labour MP Clive Soley about lessons of Syria
A veteran Labour MP and peer is speaking to Inverness pupils this morning about the lessons that can be drawn from recent international events.
Lord Soley - Clive Soley - sat in the House of Commons uninterrupted from 1979 to 2005: as MP for Hammersmith North until 1983; for Hammersmith from 1983 to 1997 and then for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd’s Bush until 2005.
He was appointed to the House of Lords that year, where he served until retirement in January 2023.
Among parliamentary committees he served on were those for Northern Ireland, Lords reform and the European Union.
Subscribe to receive our free email newsletters
Today he is talking to pupils at Inverness Royal Academy about how the recent events in Syria, where the dictatorial Assad regime has just been toppled, demonstrate how important it is to defend and speak up for democracy and the rule of law.
The horror stories emerging from the country about the mistreatment of ordinary people there, make it clear, he says, that we cannot and must not neglect our basic freedoms.
Russia’s actions in Ukraine, he says, are another timely reminder of the same thing.
Lord Soley has been asked to speak at the school by the Parliamentary Speakers for Schools programme which aims to give young people the knowledge to become informed citizens who know the power of their voice, and eventually their vote.
Lord Soley is also talking to the academy’s pupils about how he became involved in politics, became an MP and then a member of the House of Lords.
He believes there is good case for some fundamental reforms of the House of Lords, but says those reforms must ensure basic freedoms are protected and enhanced in any modernisation programme.
“That might involve a more federal structure for the UK ensuring that all parts of this United Kingdom felt fully involved and protected by our elected parliaments,” he said.
“Britain’s commitment and history of democracy and the rule of law were something to be proud of and I know from my involvement with so many other countries around the world in over 40 years of Parliamentary service that it is widely respected.”
