Is British Foreign Secretary simply a 'sinecure' Secretary of State?
Margaret Beckett, promoted to Foreign Secretary only weeks before Israel launched its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, has held government and cabinet positions with Labour since 1974. She has had experience in just about all sections of government, including being PPS to Judith Hart, a former Minister for Overseas Development.
Mrs Beckett is considered to be a 'safe pair of hands' by the Prime Minister Tony Blair (albeit perhaps velvety gloved hands), The PM is maintaining total control of Britain's foreign policy, whilst maintaining unquestioning allegiance to the war plans of US President George W Bush.
The worsening carnage in both Lebanon and Gaza, has produced heavy criticism of the UK at United Nations level, as the UK sided with Israel and America against the rest of the countries who were calling for an immediate ceasefire.
British parliamentarians and even government ministers have been critical of the 'sinecure' Foreign Secretary, holding office of state, but being incapable of acting decisively at international level without complete vetting from the 10 Downing Street interns, whilst the PM is on tour in America.
Mrs Beckett has consistently refused to describe the Israeli actions as collective punishment of civilian populations which constitutes war crimes under Article 4 of Geneva Convention, although both Mrs Beckett's deputy at the Foreign Office, Dr. Kim Howells, and sacked former Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, have criticised the Israeli military campaign as disproportionate.
Mrs Beckett's strongest action in the present crisis has been to suggest that the paperwork has not been correct in allowing American transport planes, carrying weapons shipments to Israel, a stop over at Glasgow Prestwick Airport. In effect the minister was giving the USA the equivalent of a parking violation ticket. The real issue is surely that Britain should not be instrumental in the supply of arms to fuel an Israeli war which is predominately an attack on the infrastructure and civilian population of a sovereign and friendly country, the Lebanon, and by inference a war crime.
The US arms shipments have now been diverted to the American airbase RAF Mildenhall, so that's OK then, irrespective of the 'ethical foreign policy' aspect and international law?
It has now emerged that Mrs Beckett had tried to persuade Tony Blair to press President Bush to instruct Israel to accept a truce with Lebanon, but the PM had overruled his compliant Secretary of State. Mrs Beckett had also talked to the PM about suspending flights carrying arms shipments to Israel from British airfields, but had been likewise overruled.
The Council of European Foreign Ministers in Brussels, has now found agreement with Britain on a diluted compromise resolution, and called for 'an immediate cessation of hostilities, to be followed by a sustainable ceasefire'.