Blair faces troops backlash

Tony Blair was struggling today to contain a growing backbench revolt over plans for British troops to relieve US forces in Iraq.

There is pressure on Mr Blair to make a statement to set clear limits on the length of time and the number of British forces to be deployed.

The demand comes amid fears for the safety of British troops who have been earmarked for service in the "triangle of death" near Baghdad.

The region is notorious for kidnappings, beheadings and assassinations. It includes Latifiyah, where British hostage Ken Bigley is believed to have been murdered.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon paved the way for the deployment, telling MPs that Britain would have "failed in its duty as an ally" if it did not send the troops.

An army reconnaissance team today flies to the area to assess whether up to 900 British troops should be stationed there. A final decision is expected by General Sir Michael Walker, the chief of defence staff, either tomorrow or on Thursday. A 650-strong contingent from the Black Watch is on standby to enter the area the moment the command has been given.

Downing Street has been warned that the proposals have tested the loyalty of MPs to breaking point and that Mr Blair would struggle to survive if the issue was put to a vote.

Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay said the deployment was "politically untenable".

Mr Mackinlay, who backed the war, warned that the patience of Labour loyalists was close to becoming exhausted. His words were echoed by his colleague Lindsay Hoyle, who said Mr Hoon was "barren of support from colleagues".

Despite denials from ministers, many backbenchers remain convinced the move is tied to the US presidential elections next month.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT