Blair heralds 'tough' new resolution on Iraq

A new resolution being tabled at the UN security council this afternoon will establish a "tough" new weapons inspection, Tony Blair told MPs.

And the Prime Minister warned that "action will follow" if it is passed and Saddam Hussein ignores it.

The resolution follow weeks of wrangling among the security council's five permanent members over the terms.

France and Russia have tried to avoid anything that would give the United States an automatic mandate to strike if the resolution was breached.

Mr Blair told MPs during Prime Minister's questions in the House of Commons: "At 3.30pm today there will be a United Nations resolution tabled in the Security Council and I spoke to President Bush about this a few moments ago.

"I would also like to pay tribute to the Foreign Secretary and the United Nations team who have worked so hard to secure this.

"I hope very much that it is passed and has support.

"It will be a tough new inspection regime. It will be free from the problems of the past and it will make it very, very clear that there must be the complete and total disarmament of Iraq of weapons of mass destruction – chemical, biological, nuclear weapons.

"And if not action will follow.

"But it is not conflict that is inevitable it is the disarmament of these weapons of mass destruction that is inevitable.

"And the best and surest way to avoid conflict is for Iraq to comply with the will of the United Nations, let the inspectors back in and have the disarmament process begin."