Robin Cook

The Right Honourable Robert Finlayson Cook usually called Robin Cook (February 28, 1946, Bellshill – August 6, 2005, Inverness), was a politician in the British Labour Party. He was Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2001. He resigned from his post as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council on March 17, 2003 while protesting the 2003 invasion of Iraq. At the time of his death he was president of the Foreign Policy Centre and a vice-president on the America APPG and the Global Security and Non-Proliferation APPG.

In Government

Foreign Secretary

With the election of a Labour government at the 1997 general election, Cook became Foreign Secretary. He was believed to have coveted the job of Chancellor of the Exchequer, but that job was reportedly promised by Tony Blair to Gordon Brown. He announced, to much scepticism, his intention to add "an ethical dimension" to foreign policy.

Related Topics:
1997 general election - Chancellor of the Exchequer - Tony Blair - Gordon Brown

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His term as Foreign Secretary was marked by British interventions in Kosovo and Sierra Leone. Both of these were controversial, the former because it was not sanctioned by the UN Security Council, and the latter because of allegations that the British company Sandline International had supplied arms to supporters of the deposed president in contravention of a United Nations embargo. Cook was also embarrassed when his apparent offer to mediate in the dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir was rebuffed. The ethical dimension of his policies was subject to inevitable scrutiny, leading to criticism at times.

Related Topics:
Kosovo - Sierra Leone - UN Security Council - Sandline International - United Nations - India - Pakistan - Kashmir

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Leader of the House of Commons

After the 2001 general election he was moved, against his wishes, from the Foreign Office to be Leader of the House of Commons. This was widely seen as a demotion — although it is a Cabinet post, it is substantially less prestigious than the Foreign Office — and Cook nearly turned it down. In the event he accepted, and looking on the bright side welcomed the chance to spend more time on his favourite stage. According to The Observer, http://observer.guardian.co.uk/2001review/story/0,1590,617634,00.html it was Blair's fears over political battles within the Cabinet over Europe, and especially the euro, which saw him unexpectedly demote the pro-European Cook.

Related Topics:
2001 general election - Leader of the House of Commons - The Observer - Euro

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As Leader of the House he was responsible for reforming the hours and practices of the Commons and for leading the debate on reform of the House of Lords. He also spoke for the Government during the controversy surrounding the membership of Commons Select Committees which arose in 2001, where Government whips were accused of pushing aside the outspoken committee chairs Gwyneth Dunwoody and Donald Anderson. He was President of the Party of European Socialists from May 2001 to April 2004.

Related Topics:
Gwyneth Dunwoody - Donald Anderson - Party of European Socialists - 2001 - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In early 2003, during a live television appearance on BBC current affairs show Question Time, he was inadvertently referred to as "Robin Cock" by David Dimbleby. Cook responded with attempted good humour with "Yes, David Bumblebee", and Dimbleby apologised twice on air for his slip. The episode also saw Cook in the uncomfortable position of defending the Government's stance over the impending invasion of Iraq, weeks before his resignation over the issue.

Related Topics:
BBC - Question Time - Cock - David Dimbleby

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Resignation over Iraq war

In early 2003 he was reported to be one of the cabinet's chief opponents of military action against Iraq, and on March 17 he resigned from the Cabinet. In a statement giving his reasons for resigning he said, "I can't accept collective responsibility for the decision to commit Britain now to military action in Iraq without international agreement or domestic support." He also praised Blair's "heroic efforts" in pushing for the so-called second resolution regarding the Iraq disarmament crisis. Cook's resignation speech http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2859431.stm in the House of Commons, received with an unprecedented standing ovation by fellow MPs, was described by the BBC's Andrew Marr as "without doubt one of the most effective, brilliant, resignation speeches in modern British politics." Most unusually for the British parliament, Cook's speech was met first with silence and then growing applause from all sides of the House (beginning with Labour and Liberal Democrat critics of the war), and from the public gallery.

Related Topics:
2003 - March 17 - Iraq disarmament crisis - Resignation speech - House of Commons - BBC - Andrew Marr

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~