Parliament's secret war

The invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the Coalition Government's failure to win parliamentary approval for armed intervention in Syria in 2013, mark a period of increased scrutiny of the process by which the UK engages in armed conflict.

For much of the media and civil society there now exists a constitutional convention which mandates that the Government consults Parliament before commencing hostilities.

This is celebrated as representing a redistribution of power from the executive towards a more legitimate, democratic institution.

This book offers a critical inquiry into Parliament's role in the war prerogative since the beginning of the 20th century, evaluating whether the UK's decisions to engage in conflict meet the recognised standards of good-governance: accountability, transparency and participation.