Jordan's king and Labour MPs warn Blair on Iraq attack

Tony Blair was told by King Abdullah of Jordan and his own Labour MPs yesterday that a new United Nations mandate would be required before any military action could be taken against Iraq.

The fresh pressure on the Prime Minister to seek a new UN resolution followed The Independent's revelation yesterday that the Government's lawyers had advised such a move. Downing Street refused to deny law officers had given such a warning but said it was normal practice not to comment on sensitive legal advice.

As Labour MPs urged Mr Blair to place the advice in the House of Commons, King Abdullah made clear in his meeting with the Prime Minister that the Middle East peace process needed new impetus before any action on Iraq could be taken. King Abdullah, who had warned on the eve of his meeting that an invasion on Baghdad would open a "Pandora's box", told Mr Blair of his deep unease about speculation of an American assault.

Afterwards, Downing Street said the meeting was friendly but admitted the subject of Iraq had been discussed as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Asked whether Mr Blair agreed that there was a direct link between the issues, his spokesman would say only: "They are issues that have to be addressed. He acknowledges there is a peace process [in the Middle East] that needs to be energised, and there is an issue of weapons of mass destruction [in Iraq]."

But the spokesman insisted that nothing had changed since Mr Blair told a televised press conference last week that no decisions on action had been taken and that any such action, if taken, would be in accordance with international law.

The spokesman said the dossier on Saddam Hussein's regime the Government had promised had not been published yet because "people might make a linkage and think action was imminent". It was "the long-standing practice of successive governments never to comment on advice it might or might not receive from law officers." But Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for Linlithgow and Father of the House of Commons, later wrote to the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, asking him to place any legal advice the Government may have received on Iraq in the House of Commons library.

The convention that legal advice to ministers remains confidential should be waived so MPs can make an informed judgement on the implications of military action, he said.

Mr Dalyell was backed by Bruce George, who chairs the Commons defence select committee. He warned that Mr Blair could face strong opposition from Parliament if he committed British forces to an attack, unless the argument for military intervention had been made convincingly.