PRO-WAR Labour MPs yesterday led a united attack by all parties and factions on the government’s plan to order the Black Watch towards Baghdad.
In a sign of a fresh collapse in Labour support for the war that set alarm bells ringing in Downing Street, MPs dismissed assurances from Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, that no decision had been made on whether to abide by an American request for
British troops to support a planned offensive.
The haemorrhaging of support is a massive blow for Mr Blair, who has until now been able to rely on the support of loyal allies on his back-benches, despite the wide-ranging criticisms of his approach to the war on Iraq.
Fuelling anxiety on the Labour benches was the suspicion that the request for military assistance was part of a strategy to help the re-election campaign of George Bush, the United States president.
Mr Bush’s challenger, John Kerry, has attacked Mr Bush for not gaining wider international support for his foreign policy, and some Labour MPs said that the Black Watch was being offered to the US to help Mr Bush rebut that charge.
Glenda Jackson, the Labour MP and former minister, said that acceding to the US request would mean that British troops would be "reduced to the level of being mercenaries for a Republican White House".
Dennis Skinner drew cheers when he said the plan meant "holding out an oxygen cylinder to President Bush, giving him a lifeline to win again".
And Robin Cook, who resigned from the Cabinet over Iraq, warned that British troops deployed in direct support of US forces could find themselves held accountable for the sometimes heavy-handed tactics of the Americans.
"Would he consider carefully the risk to British troops if they free up US forces for the next attack that they may be seen by some Iraqis as equally responsible for civilian casualties for which neither he nor they will have any control whatsoever," Mr Cook said.
On another day Mr Hoon could have brushed off those attacks, coming as they did from avowed opponents of the decision to go to war. But yesterday, the attacks on the government position also came from MPs who have previously been willing to suffer personal political damage in order to support the war.
The most impassioned and surprising intervention came from Andrew Mackinlay, a Labour member of the foreign affairs committee who has been outspoken in his defence of the decision to go to war in Iraq.
"Many of us find it incredible that the US cannot find the logistic support and the infantry to fill this gap," he told Mr Hoon.
"Some of us have provided political cover and support for this government," he added, concluding: "I beg him not to try and stretch the envelope too much, otherwise it might burst. Some of us will not stomach it."
Even Sir Gerald Kaufman, a veteran who has been loyal to the government, confessed unease about the possibility that the proposed deployment could play into US domestic politics.
"Will [Mr Hoon consider] that the timing will take into account the possibility of UK forces risking their lives, being exploited politically in a closely fought US election?" he asked.
Geraldine Smith, another Labour back-bencher who voted for the war last year, said public feeling was decisively against greater British entanglement in Iraq.
"What the people of this country want is a clear exit strategy," she said.
Annabelle Ewing, the Scottish National Party MP for Perth, where the Black Watch has its headquarters, spoke for the families of the soldiers. "What does he have to say to my constituents who are anxiously awaiting news about their loved ones currently on their second tour of duty within a year?" she asked. "When is the Black Watch coming home?"
Nicholas Soames, the shadow defence secretary, asked Mr Hoon: "Given that the security situation could well deteriorate between now and the Iraqi elections, how does he plan to fill such an important capability gap were this deployment to be made?"
Mr Hoon had little answer but to stick to the government’s official position that no decision had yet been made on the deployment.
"We are part of a coalition and in a coalition it is necessary that the participants should support each other," he said, rejecting any suggestion that the move could be linked to the US election.
"None of these details have as yet been decided and a UK reconnaissance team will deploy to the area tomorrow to provide further information," he added.
Adam Ingram, the armed forces minister, was accused yesterday of deliberately snubbing community leaders and local politicians during a visit to the closure-threatened RAF Kinloss base in Moray.
Mr Ingram visited the base before travelling to Inverness to meet David Stewart, the Labour MP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, retired soldiers and community leaders to discuss the future structure of the army.
Angus Robertson, the SNP MP for Moray, claimed that Mr Ingram’s failure to meet local community representatives and politicians was a slap in the face for the people of Moray.
However, Mr Ingram defended his decision declaring: "The SNP policy on defence is to close bases in Scotland. So I really don’t see they have much of a contribution to make."
WHAT
MPS WHO VOTED FOR WAR SAID YESTERDAY
‘Many of us find it incredible that the US cannot find the logistic support and the infantry to fill this gap.’
- Andrew Mackinlay, a Labour member of the foreign affairs committee
‘Will [Mr Hoon consider] that the timing will take into account the possibility of UK forces risking their lives, being exploited politically in a closely fought US election?’
- Sir Gerald Kaufman, veteran Labour MP
‘What the people of this country want is a clear exit strategy.’
- Geraldine Smith, Labour back-bencher
