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Deploy British army 'in UN-sanctioned conflict only' — Usdaw

USDAW members have backed a call for the British armed forces to only be deployed in UN-sanctioned international conflicts in a close vote at the union’s annual conference yesterday.

The motion was carried by 52.22 to 47.78 per cent on a card vote.

Moving the hotly debated proposal, Morrison’s North West delegate Billy Gray said recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had caused needless British troop deaths in wars based on lies. 

He said: “This is in no way to take away from the work done by our overseas people but we need to be sure it is the correct course of action to take.”

But fellow delegate David Parkinson, a former military serviceman, said: “We are being asked to surrender our national sovereignty, a surrender of the ultimate defence against attack.

“Mistakes have been made but our nation should learn from it and as a nation how we make those decisions.”

General secretary John Hannett said the union executive, prior to the vote, gave qualified support, adding: “It is a correct principle but there are exceptions to the rule.”

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