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Howard's Way.... a weekly column from the Rt. Hon. Michael Howard QC. MP. 

11 December 2008

Pride of place this week must go to the terrible events in Zimbabwe.

The onset of cholera has now added death from disease to the many tribulations the inhabitants of that sad country have had to suffer at the hands of Robert Mugabe.

Is it too much to hope that it will be the final catalyst for international action to put an end, once and for all, to the tyranny of this man?

The key to Zimbabwe’s future lies with its neighbours, especially, South Africa. Anything the British Government says is immediately dismissed by Mugabe and his henchmen as the voice of the former colonial power.

But South Africa could bring Mugabe’s regime to an end in a matter of days. All it has to do to cut off the supply of petrol, so vital to Mugabe’s army and, police, and the dictator would be deprived of the instruments of his tyranny.

We must all hope that some action of this kind will, at last, be taken.

Here the House of Commons has been much exercised by the fall-out from the search of Damian Green’s office and houses. I have raised a number of points arising out of this extraordinary affair.

It cannot be said often enough that our concern is not related to our own privileges as Members of Parliament. We are certainly not above the law. Nor, of course, should we be.

But if we are to do our job properly on behalf of you, our constituents, you must be able to communicate with us in confidence.

From time to time I receive complaints about the police. If my constituents want me to deal with these in confidence you should be able to do so. The same is, of course, true of Damian’s constituents.

That is what is at stake here and that is what the arguments are likely to continue for quite a while yet.