At a time of increased tensions in Korea and elsewhere around the globe, a book-panel discussion of Parliament’s Secret War offers an opportunity to provide insights into how far the UK Parliament can hold the British Government accountable for decisions to use military force. The invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the UK 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. There is a widespread view amongst most politicians and across civil society that there now exists a constitutional convention which mandates that the UK Government consults Westminster Parliament before commencing hostilities. The book offers a critical inquiry into UK Parliament’s role in the war prerogative, evaluating whether the UK’s decisions to engage in conflict meet the recognised standards of good governance: accountability, transparency and participation.