Parliamentary approval for participation in armed conflict

12.02.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th May 2007

The Conservatives are today using their opposition day debate to propose a motion on "Parliamentary approval for participation in armed conflict". This not the first time this is being debated in Parliament, last year a group of MPs came together to call for Prime Ministers' power to declare war or agree treaties without the approval of Parliament to be restricted.

I was please to hear Gordon Brown has hinted that he backs this policy and that in his campaign launch speech on Friday he said: "Government must be more open and more accountable to Parliament - for example in decisions about peace and war.."

Personally I would like to see that the Royal Prerogative powers which the Prime Minister and the cabinet exercise, such as the appointment and dismissal of ministers, the dissolution of parliament and the calling of elections, the awarding of honours, the declaration of war, the declaration of an emergency, the appointment of Royal Commissions and Officers amongst others subject to parliamentary accountability.