On 29 August 2013, the House of Commons voted against the prospect of UK military action against the Assad regime in Syria. The decision helped shape the Western approach to the Syrian crisis and marked a significant moment in British politics; raising important new questions about the constitutional basis for ‘who decides’ when Britain goes to war. On 20 January 2015 Professor John Gearson chaired a public talk by James Gray MP and Mark Lomas QC on these and other issues raised in their major new book: 'Who Takes Britain To War?' (The History Press, 2014). 

James Gray has been MP for North Wiltshire since 1997. A former Shadow Defence Minister (who resigned over Iraq), he is a member of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces and the Armed Forces Parliamentary Trust. 

Mark Lomas was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1997 and took silk in 2003. He practiced for thirty-two years at the Common Law and Commercial Bar, specialising in professional negligence and insurance matters.  

The event was hosted by the Centre for Defence Studies. 

DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this podcast are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London. 

James Gray MP & Mark Lomas QC: Who takes Britain to war?

Welcome to the War Studies podcast. We bring you world-leading research from the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, the largest community of scholars in the world dedicated to the study of all aspects of security, defence and international relations. We aim to explore the complex realm of conflict and uncover the challenges at the heart of navigating world affairs and diplomatic relations, because we believe the study of war is fundamental to understanding the world we live in and the world we want to live in.

If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please rate and review us on your preferred podcast provider – it really helps us reach more listeners. 

The School of Security Studies harnesses the depth and breadth of expertise across War Studies and Defence Studies to produce world-leading research and teaching on issues of global security that develops new empirical knowledge, employs innovative theory, and addresses vital policy issues. 

Visit our website: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/security-studies

Sign up to our mailing list: https://kcl.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=cc0521a63c9b286223dea9d18&id=730233761d

DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in these podcasts are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.