Chilcot report: Where to watch PMQs live following release of long-awaited inquiry into Iraq War
Jeremy Corbyn expected to be highly critical of former PM Tony Blair following seven-year wait.
David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn are set to clash in the House of Commons following the release of the long-awaited Chilcot report into the Iraq War. The report, which is predicted to be heavily critical of former Labour prime minister Tony Blair, is to be published this morning (6 July) seven years after it was announced by Gordon Brown.
You can watch PMQs on BBC Parliament, BBC2's Daily Politics, Parliament TV and Sky News from 12pm GMT. Also make sure to follow@IBTUKPolitics for live reaction and commentary on the debate.
The mammoth 2.6-million-word report was set up to look at the decision making process in relation to the invasion of Iraq. The scope of the inquiry runs from the summer of 2001 – before the 9/11 terror attacks in New York - to the end of July 2009 after British troops had pulled out of Iraq.
In total, 197 British troops died during the Iraq war, which was fought over the suggestion that Iraq's then dictator Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction capable of being deployed in 45 minutes.
Dr David Kelly, a former weapons inspector, was found dead in 2003 two days after being named as the source who claimed a Downing Street dossier highlighting Iraq's arms capabilities had been "sexed up".
Prior to the release, there have been reports that Labour's under-pressure leader Corbyn is waiting until the release of the report to give him a chance to accuse Blair of committing war crimes due to his involvement in the Iraq war, before finally stepping down as leader.
Corbyn has ignored frequent calls to stand down following the EU referendum result, having been criticised for not doing enough to campaign for Britain to Remain, losing the confidence of a vast majority of his own MPs in the process.
There have also been reports that the main reason Labour have not put a candidate forward to challenge Corbyn for the leadership is that they cannot find anyone willing who was against the Iraq war. Fielding a candidate who wasn't strongly opposed to the war may prove disastrous post-Chilcot.
Cameron has previously been highly critical of the delay in the report, saying he and the British public are "fast losing patience". Former PM Brown originally predicted the report would come out in 2010.
Following PMQs, both Cameron and Corbyn will give their statements regarding the Chilcot Report and its findings.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.