A LOCAL MP has called for an inquiry into government leaks over the conflict in Iran.

Conservative South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman – whose constituency includes Welsh Newton, Garway, Llangrove, Whitchurch and Goodrich – told the House of Commons that when Israel and the US launched ‘Operation Epic Fury’; on February 28, the Prime Minister had failed to take responsibility for the inconsistencies in his position on the conflict, which he claimed had brought shame and dishonour to the country.

Mr Norman added: “It is now clear that there has been a disastrous failure of political leadership. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet knew, or should have known, for a full month that the USA was mustering a vast body of forces to attack Iran, that it could not remain on high readiness indefinitely, and so an attack must surely follow.

“I cannot recall that a political hatchet job of this kind has ever been performed on a commanding officer in the course of a military operation. It is deeply dishonourable and itself a further sign of failure in Number 10.”

Mr Norman went on to accuse the Cabinet of passing the blame onto the Chief of Defence Staff, Sir Richard Knighton, who was revealed via an anonymous leak in The Spectator, repeated in The Telegraph, as being responsible.

“Now that they are engaged, our armed forces are discharging their duties with distinction, but the result of this political incompetence has been a fiasco, which brought shame and dishonour on this country,” Mr Norman added.

Mr Norman then asked Parliament to support an inquiry into the leaks and briefings, and to investiagte how this “embarrassing fiasco” was allowed to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.