Labour’s Diane Abbott has responded to criticism on social media for using a simulated image of a bombing raid in Iran while posting on Twitter about the UK’s participation in military strikes in Syria.
The image she chose to accompany her tweet was a composite showing what a strike by Israeli planes on Tehran might look like, and was originally posted to an aviation blog five years ago.
Shocking to hear Tory minister on @BBCr4today claim that you can’t allow Parliament to vote on war because that would be to “outsource the decision to people who don’t have all the info” Do these people understand what parliamentary democracy is? pic.twitter.com/1sMxSJb48G
— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) April 16, 2018
The shadow home secretary dismissed the row over her use of the picture as “pathetic”.
It is unclear where Abbott sourced the image. However, it appears prominently in Google image searches for multiple queries relating to the bombing of Syria including “syria air strikes”, “bombing syria” and “air strike syria”.
Abbot defended herself, tweeting: “Apparently, my use of this pic is ‘important news’. Yes, UK goes to war without UN approval or even parliamentary debate. But the most important news is what pics I use in a tweet. Pathetic.”
Apparently, my use of this pic is 'important news'. Yes, UK goes to war without UN approval or even parliamentary debate. But the most important news is what pics I use in a tweet. Pathetic.
— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) April 16, 2018
The Conservative MP James Cleverly had demanded an apology, saying: “To imply that this was a attack on civilian homes, as the picture does, is a vile misrepresentation and dishonours the RAF personnel involved.”
Abbott was hitting out on social media at the international development secretary, Penny Mordaunt, who on Monday morning defended the government’s refusal to hold a parliamentary vote before launching strikes in response to the chemical weapon attack on Douma.
