Kurdistan is currently an autonomous region in the north of Iraq, which has sought independent status since the early twentieth century. It is currently independent of Baghdad's control in all but name, because of the conflict in the surrounding region. Its peshmerga forces play a key role in protecting the stability of the region and combatting ISIS (Daesh). However, its international partners have repeatedly declared their commitment to it remaining part of a "united Iraq" despite the wishes of Kurdistan's people. The mistaken belief that this would increase stability creates further conflict, deepens political divisions with Baghdad, and ignores the right of peoples to self-determination in international law. We believe that an independent Kurdistan would help to provide stability in the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Syria, would provide a clear homeland for a people who have often been oppressed by the surrounding states (and subjected to attempted genocide in Iraq), and would undo some of the damage done by the British role in partitioning the region after the First World War. A formal declaration of support (in principle) by the UK government would help to make it possible for Kurdistan to move forward with the process of independence, allowing it to be more certain of international recognition post-independence, and helping to offset some of the damaging insistences on a "united Iraq."
