Libya

Lord Trefgarne Excerpts

Monday 21st March 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Anderson of Swansea]

My Lords—

[Lord Trefgarne]

My Lords—

[Lord McNally]

There is another 20 minutes to go. My noble friend Lord Trefgarne was on his feet before.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord McNally]

Noble Lords are behaving worse with 40 minutes than they did when they had 20 minutes.

[Lord Trefgarne]

My Lords, I am obliged to my noble friend. As someone who has been involved in Anglo-Libyan commercial relations for the past five or six years, I have, needless to say, received with the greatest distress what has been happening in Libya in recent weeks: the wholesale slaughter of civilians and the wounding of a great many more. I am bound to say, therefore, that I very much agree with the action that the Government took first at the United Nations and then in joining the military operations of recent days.

However, we have to be careful about the objectives that we are seeking, both military and political. The military objectives are surely simply to pave the way towards the political objectives; and the political objective seems clear, which is to provide for the people of Libya an opportunity to choose for themselves in a free and fair way who should be their leaders.

[Lord Strathclyde]

My Lords, I acknowledge my noble friend’s great understanding of Anglo-Libyan relations. I thank him for his support of the actions of Her Majesty's Government. I particularly agree with the clarity with which he put the objective, which is to provide for the people of Libya to choose their own future and political destiny.