Howard under fire over Iraq

Michael Howard was put on the defensive over Iraq today after saying he would have gone to war even if Saddam Hussein had no weapons arsenal.

The Conservative leader came under fire when he said "regime change" should have been the main reason to oust the dictator, rather than alleged weapons of mass destruction.

Critics pointed out that his remarks echoed those of George Bush, and undermined the Tories' attack on Tony Blair's character over the issue. Mr Howard, who made the comments on the BBC's Question Time yesterday, was forced to clarify his position today, saying he was expressing his own view on the issue, and any decision would be for a Conservative Cabinet to decide.

But former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said his views were not shared by all Tories. And Margaret Thatcher spoke of her " frustration" at Mr Howard. She has left Britain for the rest of the campaign: the first time in 70 years she has not taken part in the run-up to an election.

Other senior Tories were dismayed by their leader's Question Time showing, during which he was criticised by the audience on issues such as immigration. "He looked too harsh, too defensive and reminded people of why they voted us out in

1997. Kennedy played a blinder," a source said.

Describing his stance on Iraq as "regime change plus", Mr Howard said he would have followed Mr Bush's approach to the war instead of relying, as Mr Blair had, on Saddam's failure to comply with UN resolutions.

Asked if he would still have gone to war if he had known Saddam had no WMD, the Tory leader replied: "Yes, I would have supported the war, because I think it was the right thing to do." Sir Malcolm today told BBC Radio 4: "[Mr

Howard] was expressing his personal view." But the Liberal Democrats said Mr Howard's remarks undermined the Tories' case on the failure to find WMD.

Mr Blair tried to move the agenda onto the economy amid new questions over the war's legality following the publication of the Attorney General's legal advice. Military chiefs expressed unease at the prospect of legal action, as Rose Gentle, mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, said she would take the Government to court.