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Nevertheless, ultimately it is something that we would have to recognise if Iraq continued to provide that kind of threat. 11 September means that we have to look very carefully at many countries – and Iraq, I have to say, is one of them – that could prove to be a real threat to our security.” Mr Hoon’s comments went further than Tony Blair’s support for President George Bush in his determination to tackle the threat posed by Iraq.Labour backbenchers are understood to have warned Mr Blair that he would face a revolt if he backed US military action.Peter Kilfoyle, a former defence minister, said: “There is no mandate for the UK government to genuflect to the hawks in the American administration over Iraq. My belief is there would be a great deal of consternation amongst the Parliamentary Labour Party and, indeed, the wider party – as well as the British people – about some kind of reflex action that would support an American vendetta against Iraq.”Tam Dalyell, the longest-serving MP, attacked the Prime Minister’s “war-mongering tendencies” in a speech in Edinburgh. He said: “There should be no military action unless it is agreed by the UN in full UN discussions.”Mr Dalyell, Labour MP for Linlithgow, said: “George Bush and Tony Blair cannot say they are going to conduct a just war if they have not done everything possible to avoid a war. ‘Everything possible’ includes sitting down and talking properly to the Iraqis. There have been signs from Baghdad, various statements which should be taken at face value, that they want discussion.”Labour MPs, who will raise their protests in a Commons debate next Wednesday, are convinced Mr Blair will support American action despite their misgivings.

It is believed that the Prime Minister will consider the military options with President Bush when he visits Washington in April.Bernard Jenkin, shadow Defence Secretary, said Britain should be prepared to support American action against Iraq. He said: “I don’t expect the Prime Minister to give a blank cheque to the Americans but I do expect the Prime Minister to be working very closely with the Americans on this.”What the President has made clear is that these countries have to be confronted one way or the other.”. Pressure on Stephen Byers increased last night after Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory leader, wrote to Tony Blair demanding a response to allegations that the Transport Secretary had misled Parliament. But notes kept by Mr Sixsmith and published in The Independent subsequently suggested that the Transport Secretary told both Sir Richard and Mr Campbell that he had promised Ms Moore that the former BBC correspondent’s head would roll.In questioning over his role in the affair in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Byers said: “There was no linkage between the two. Jo Moore resigned without any conditions being attached.”In his letter, Mr Duncan Smith said: “I would be grateful if you would clarify this. Did Alastair Campbell and Sir Richard Mottram say those words, or anything like them, to Martin Sixsmith? This could be cleared up by a simple answer by you as to whether or not Martin Sixsmith’s published account is correct.”Mr Byers announced the resignations of Ms Moore and Mr Sixsmith on 15 February, after a row about an e-mail warning against attempts to “bury” bad news on the day of Princess Margaret’s funeral.

Mr Sixsmith has since denied that he offered his resignation.Sir Nigel Wicks told a pre-recorded interview for GMTV’s Sunday Programme that he wanted to run an investigation into the role of special advisers and how they related to ministers and civil servants.”I would be a little surprised if those people Jo Moore and Martin Sixsmith were not on our list. If Alastair Campbell would like to come to talk to us, I’m sure we would be very willing to listen to him,” he said.Interviewed for the same programme, Ms Jowell said she understood public anger at recent events. “Yes, I understand why people feel bewildered, angry and frustrated,” she said. When asked if she would accept that the Government was no longer perceived as being “whiter than white”, Ms Jowell replied: “I think that’s right. I think that allegations of sleaze and worse do affect public perception and I think that’s a very bad thing.”. New evidence submitted by Peter Mandelson has failed to change the main findings of the inquiry into the Hinduja pass-ports affair which led to his resignation from the Cabinet last year.