Mr Blair added: "Back away from this
confrontation now and future conflicts will be infinitely worse and more
devastating."
And he said that to retreat now, he believed, "would put at
hazard all that we hold dearest ... tell our allies that at the very
moment of action, at the very moment they need our determination, that
Britain faltered. I will not be party to such a cause." With the
Tories officially backing him there was no real doubt that Mr Blair
would gain the paper majority he needs in the vote at 10 tonight.
But the fear at Downing Street was that the Labour revolt - 121
strong last time - could rise beyond the 200 mark, forcing the Prime
Minister to rely on Conservative votes. That, some at Westminster
believed, would amount to a virtual "No" and make his position
impossible.
The hours leading up to the debate saw two more ministers resign,
John Denham from the Home Office and Lord Hunt from the Health
Department, following Robin Cook's departure from the Cabinet yesterday,
and the resignation of four Parliamentary Private Secretaries,
ministerial aides.
But International Development Secretary Clare Short, after a night of
doubt, announced that contrary to her earlier threat she would stay on,
and there was growing hope in the Blair camp that the resignations would
be a trickle rather than a flood.
Ms Short announced that it would be "cowardly" to step down
from the Cabinet because there is work to be done to aid and rebuild
Iraq after the war. But she coupled her promise with stinging criticism
of the way the Prime Minister had handled the crisis, after having
earlier condemned his policy as " reckless", in a fresh attack
that looks likely to leave a legacy of bitterness.
Lord Hunt, had rung the BBC to declare that he could not accept
Britain's involvement in a war without UN authority. John Denham, a
middle-ranking minister had previously been one of Mr Blair's most
reliable supporters.
Ms Short's decision, however, limited the damage in the Cabinet and,
at a packed meeting of Labour backbenchers, the mood also appeared to be
turning Mr Blair's way.
The Prime Minister used the private meeting at the Commons to deliver
a passionate appeal to his MPs to rally round. His 18-minute speech won
long and loud applause and afterwards even some of his critics described
it as "very persuasive". Of the 20 MPs who spoke, 15 backed
the Government line and those who spoke against were said to have been
"subdued".
Everything, however, depended on the result of the vote following
this afternoon's Commons debate, a test on which Mr Blair's leadership
could yet stand or fall.
Senior ministers, the party whips and Mr Blair himself, in a series
of meetings, were doing their utmost to woo the doubters and, where
possi b le, win over the rebels. But even some of the Prime Minister's
closest aides said, as the debate got under way, that they were unable
to predict the result, with much hanging on Mr Blair's performance in
the Commons and the effectiveness of the rebel arguments.
Lord Hunt's move caught Downing Street on the hop - and triggered a
furious and extraordinary put-down from Deputy Prime Minister John
Prescott.
Told of the resignation on the BBC's Today programme he claimed not
to know who his former Government colleague was and said he would have
to look his name up.
The insult, in the fevered atmosphere at Westminster with many still
undecided as to which way they will vote tonight, was instantly seen as
a serious misjudgment, likely to harden the resolve of the rebels.
Ms Short acknowledged that she had laid herself open to attack after
stating categorically only days ago that she would quit. I know I will
be heavily criticised for my decision and many people will feel I have
let them down," she said. "But I am doing what I think is
right in the circumstances which we are now in.
"I remain very critical of the way the Iraq crisis has been
handled. I think the UK could have exerted more leverage and the
approach to the Security Council should have been more respectful and
less dominated by US timelines
... but we are where we are, and we must decide how we can best take
things forward."
She pointed to two key factors which had swayed her: the clear view
of the Government's law officer, the Attorney General, that military
action would be legal under international law and the pledge from
President Bush that Iraq, after conflict, would be rebuilt under the UN
umbrella.
She went on: "There are, of course, grave risks in military
action, but I am confident that targeting will be as careful as possible
and that our military will take very seriously their humanitarian duties
under the Geneva and Hague Conventions.
"I believe the real test we are about to face is our commitment
to care for the people of Iraq and to mobilise the will of the
international community to help them rebuild their country.
"The second test will be the full implementation of the roadmap
to Palestinian statehood. This is, I think, how history will judge
us."
Party managers were hoping those arguments would persuade other
waverers.
