Labour MPs 'ready to revolt' on Iraq

One of Tony Blair's most loyal followers today warned of a massive rebellion in Labour ranks if the Government supports an American- led military attack on Iraq.

Gerald Kaufman, the former shadow foreign secretary, claimed there was "substantial resistance" among Labour MPs - "not just the usual suspects".

He spoke out as the United States appeared to move closer towards war, as it urged charities to come forward with their plans to provide humanitarian relief inside Iraq. President Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice also raised the stakes, saying there was now a "very powerful moral case for regime change".

About 150 Labour MPs have signed a Commons motion cautioning against military action against Iraq, and even the Cabinet is thought to be split.

Mr Kaufman, Labour's foreign spokesman during the 1990 Gulf war, said his loyalty to the party leadership-would force him to back the Government if there was a Commons vote on action against Saddam Hussein's regime.

But he predicted that with so many Labour backbenchers rebelling, the Prime Minister would be forced to rely on the Opposition for support.

Writing in The Spectator, he also launched an attack on President George Bush, calling him "the most intellectually backward American president of my lifetime" surrounded by advisers "whose bellicosity is exceeded only by their political, military and diplomatic illiteracy".

Meanwhile, the US government is asking aid organisations to bid for funding to set up projects in and around Iraq to help potential refugees.

Some organisations have been reluctant to apply, for fear that they could be seen to be laying the foundations for war. Joel Charny of Washington-based Refugees International said: "I find it strange that the US government is announcing an open competition for proposals for humanitarian assistance projects in Iraq."