Posted by NEWS on 24/2/2005, 18:02:39 A former British ambassador to Uzbekistan has vowed to stand against Jack Straw, foreign secretary, in May's likely general election after securing a redundancy pay-off from the Foreign Office.
Former envoy in Uzbekistan to stand against Straw "Say No to George Bush"
By Christopher Adams, Political Correspondent [FT]
Published: February 15 2005
Craig Murray, who claims he lost his post for publicly criticising the use of intelligence obtained under torture, on Tuesday accused the government of having "slavishly sold out any ethical principles for blind support of George Bush". He would use some of his �315,000 early retirement package to contest Mr Straw's seat as an independent candidate.
Mr Murray, 46, was suspended from his job in October after a year of tense relations with his head office on account of his outspoken views on human rights and his personal life. He claimed then he had become a "victim of conscience" after a memorandum, in which he alleged British intelligence had used information obtained under torture in Uzbekistan, was leaked to the Financial Times. The Foreign Office justified his removal on "operational grounds" and has denied suppressing discussion.
If Mr Murray carries out his threat to stand against Mr Straw in his Blackburn seat, he may be able to count on the votes of some in the town's substantial Asian community that opposed the Iraq war. Intending to campaign under a banner of "Say No to George Bush", he said he had been contacted by Muslim groups offering support and hoped to provide a focus for people who were unhappy with the war and the conduct of foreign policy. He was also considering legal action against the Foreign Office.
The First Division Association, the union representing senior civil servants, denied suggestions that the Foreign Office had sought to "buy off" Mr Murray with the severance deal. It added, though, that trust between the two had broken down and the last two years had put the former ambassador under enormous strain.
Mr Murray said he regarded the payment, part of a programme of cuts aimed at reducing staff numbers at the Foreign Office, "as a complete vindication".
He added: "The FCO [Foreign Office] levelled a string of false allegations against me. They made it plain that anyone in the civil service who stood up for human rights in the context of the so-called war on terror would be shafted. But they could not make the lies against me stick, even internally."
The Foreign Office rejected any link between the payment and Mr Murray's views on human rights.
"He applied for early severance . . . the criteria for which he met due to particular compassionate and medical circumstances," an official said.
The FDA said the government had demonstrated concern for the former official's health by responding positively to his application rather than blocking it because of an outstanding investigation.
The union said: "This is a very complex case. Mr Murray is a passionate advocate for human rights and his style has certainly brought him into conflict with his bosses."
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