Blair faces conference attack over Iraq war

Tony Blair faces a setback over any proposed attack on Iraq at next month's Labour Party conference, where members are expected to express deep concern about plans to take military action against Saddam Hussein's regime.

Senior Labour sources believe the Blackpool conference will call for any action against Iraq to be in line with international law. Critics of the Prime Minister's strong support for President George Bush would argue that would require a fresh United Nations Security Council resolution.

Yesterday, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, sought to quell the growing revolt by suggesting that a war could be avoided if President Saddam allows weapons inspectors to return to Iraq. Crucially, he distanced the Government from President Bush's demand for "regime change" in Baghdad, insisting that ousting President Saddam was not Britain's goal.

Mr Straw told BBC Radio 4 it was "jumping the gun" to talk of an attack on Iraq now, although it had to remain an option. If there was another way of dealing with the Iraqi threat, then the case for international action would recede, he said.

"The crucial issue here is weapons inspectors. If Saddam Hussein allows weapons inspectors back without condition, without restriction on them, if they're able to do their job properly, then the circumstances will change," he said. Mr Straw stressed that he did not believe from his discussions with the Americans that they regarded military action as the option of choice.

Menzies Campbell, foreign affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said: "There is now clear water across the Atlantic between Washington and London. The Foreign Secretary's remarks place Britain in a quite different position from the hawks in the Bush administration."

Senior Labour figures believe it would be counter-productive to prevent a party conference debate on Iraq and will, therefore, allow an emergency motion to be discussed.

Unions and constituency activists are coalescing around a motion stressing the need to uphold international law and would claim they inflicted a "bloody nose" on Mr Blair if it were passed. The Labour leadership may try to limit the damage by not opposing the motion. Mr Blair would claim that a fresh UN mandate is not needed because Iraq is already in breach of UN resolutions.

Labour MPs will demand an immediate Commons debate when Parliament returns in October to force a vote.

They believe they will secure a debate because Robin Cook, the Leader of the Commons, has doubts about military action. But Mr Blair is expected to prevent a formal vote, which would force the Government to rely on the Tory opposition to avoid an embarrassing defeat.

One former minister, who has privately warned Mr Blair of the strength of feeling, said yesterday: "The Prime Minister is in no doubt what people feel on this." He added: "This goes far wider than the 'usual suspects' opposed to any sort of military action under any circumstances. There is a completely different mood in the parliamentary party from over Afghanistan and the Gulf War."

Three weeks before Labour's conference, the annual gathering of the TUC is expected to approve a tougher motion opposing a war with Iraq. The TSSA white-collar rail union has tabled an amendment saying: "To reduce international tensions and promote peace, Congress opposes the proposed military attack by the USA on Iraq."