Blair faces revolt over the war on Saddam

Disillusioned Labour activists are plotting a damaging new attack on Tony Blair, it emerged today.

Party rebels are circulating a resolution of no confidence in the Prime Minister over his handling of the war in Iraq.

They are trying to whip up support for a vote on his leadership at Labour's annual conference next month. The latest threat to Mr Blair comes a day after it was revealed that he has been deserted by some of the party's key thinkers - who used an editorial in a Labour journal to lambast his leadership.

Today it emerged that Labour MPs are so worried about the damage the war has done to Labour's reputation that they have persuaded former foreign secretary Robin Cook to head a campaign to woo back Muslim voters.

Mr Cook - the only Cabinet minister to resign on the eve of the conflict - has agreed to embark on a nationwide tour of mosques to try to limit the damage to Labour at the polls.

The public relations campaign illustrates the level of unease in the party over the fallout from the war. At the party conference, rebel Leftwingers will launch a new bid to topple Mr Blair by staging the no-confidence vote.

A resolution calling for a vote on his leadership is being circulated around Labour parties across the country. Former party deputy leader Lord Hattersley has joined calls for Mr Blair to step down. "Threats may have to take the place of persuasion," he said.

Although a resolution of no confidence in Mr Blair is unlikely to receive enough support to trigger a full debate at the party conference, it will cause embarrassment to the Prime Minister.