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Ministers face Iraq inquiry vote Blair faces Iraq debate showdown
(about 2 hours later)
The government is facing the prospect of a Commons defeat if it refuses to announce a wide-ranging inquiry into the Iraq war and its aftermath. Tony Blair faces a battle to avoid a defeat as MPs from all parties join forces to demand an inquiry into Iraq.
The Conservatives say they might vote with the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru, who have tabled a motion backing a parliamentary investigation. The Commons will debate a Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru call for a probe into the war and aftermath, backed by Lib Dems and Labour rebels.
Tuesday's debate will be the first full Commons debate on Iraq since July 2004. The Tories, who supported the war, say they will join them if ministers do not agree to a wide-ranging inquiry to be held once British troops come home.
Tony Blair's spokesman has made clear the government would not hold an inquiry while troops are in Iraq. The government says it will not hold an inquiry while troops are in Iraq.
He said the enemy was looking for signs of weakness and said it was important not to give any signal that the UK was less than fully determined to see the job through. Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman has said it was important not to give the enemy any sign of weakness.
Motion Review call
Ministers have said that the Hutton Inquiry, into the death of government adviser David Kelly, and the Butler Inquiry into the pre-war intelligence were enough. The debate, due to start at 1540 GMT, is the first full Commons debate on Iraq since July 2004.
The motion put forward by the SNP and Plaid Cymru calls for a committee of seven senior MPs to review "the way in which the responsibilities of government were discharged in relation to Iraq" from the build-up to the March 2003 invasion and its aftermath. The SNP and Plaid are using their "Opposition Day" to table a motion calling for a committee of seven senior MPs to review "the way in which the responsibilities of government were discharged in relation to Iraq" from the build-up to the March 2003 invasion and its aftermath.
Whatever one's view about the rights and wrongs of the invasion of Iraq, it's very important to learn about what's happened since then William Hague The wording matches an Early Day Motion of November 2005, which was signed by more than 160 MPs of all parties, including 32 Labour MPs.
The Conservatives favour a different investigation, similar to the Franks inquiry carried out after the Falklands war, involving former generals and civil servants rather than just MPs. It is essential ... that we establish what combination of deception, delusion and ineptitude carried us down this fateful path Adam Price Plaid Cymru
Rather than an immediate review they want it to be held in the next parliamentary session, when the British presence in Iraq is likely to have been reduced. If that many Labour MPs rebel in the vote, due at 1840 GMT, and all non-Labour MPs vote for the motion, the government would be defeated.
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said if the government announced a Franks-style inquiry, the Conservatives would abstain from voting on Tuesday. It is unclear, and difficult to predict, how, or whether, MPs will vote on the issue, but a defeat would be embarrassing for Mr Blair.
If MPs back the motion an inquiry would go ahead unless ministers seek to overturn it at a later date. One way of doing so would be by calling a confidence vote.
Plaid's defence spokesman Adam Price said it was essential to "establish what combination of deception, delusion and ineptitude carried us down this fateful path".
The Conservatives favour an investigation, similar to the Franks inquiry carried out after the Falklands war, involving former generals and civil servants rather than just MPs.
They say they have met the government's concerns, by requesting an inquiry which starts next year, when ministers have said Iraqi security forces should be able to take over most responsibilities from British troops.
'Hearts and minds''Hearts and minds'
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said if such an inquiry was announced, the Conservatives would abstain from voting on Tuesday.
But if not, they would put the government "under increased pressure" to do so, by voting with the SNP and Plaid.But if not, they would put the government "under increased pressure" to do so, by voting with the SNP and Plaid.
"Most of us supported the invasion of Iraq and many of us still consider it was the right thing to do... but this is a separate issue," he told the BBC."Most of us supported the invasion of Iraq and many of us still consider it was the right thing to do... but this is a separate issue," he told the BBC.
He said it was important to look at what has happened since the invasion, from the successful elections, to the failure to reconstruct Iraq's economy or win the "hearts and minds" of its people. Whatever one's view about the rights and wrongs of the invasion of Iraq, it's very important to learn about what's happened since then William Hague
It is essential ... that we establish what combination of deception, delusion and ineptitude carried us down this fateful path Adam Price Plaid Cymru He said it was important to look at the aftermath, from the successful elections, to the failure to reconstruct Iraq's economy or win the "hearts and minds" of its people.
"Whatever one's view about the rights and wrongs of the invasion of Iraq, it's very important to learn about what's happened since then," he said."Whatever one's view about the rights and wrongs of the invasion of Iraq, it's very important to learn about what's happened since then," he said.
The wording of Tuesday's debate mirrors an Early Day Motion which has been signed by more than 160 MPs of all parties, including 32 Labour, 60 Conservatives and 59 Liberal Democrats. 'Ludicrous'
But Labour member of the foreign affairs select committee, Gisela Stuart, said there had already been sufficient investigations - with the Hutton and Butler inquiries.
"We have a continuous questioning process within Parliament whether it's in Defence questions, Foreign Affairs questions ... we have debates," she said.
"To say we need an extra inquiry, I just can't work out, other than really opportunistic reasons to beat the government."
HAVE YOUR SAY Instead of being retrospective why not look into what can be done to help Iraq now? Qwerty, UK Send us your comments
Former Cabinet minister Ken Clarke, a Conservative MP who rebelled against his party's support for the war in 2003, told the BBC it was "faintly absurd" to say that his party's calls for an inquiry were "incompatible" with their support for the war.
SNP leader Alex Salmond said: "Even if the government wins it by a narrow margin - which I think is the reality - then [Tony Blair] would be in a Neville Chamberlain situation where you win the battle but lose the war."SNP leader Alex Salmond said: "Even if the government wins it by a narrow margin - which I think is the reality - then [Tony Blair] would be in a Neville Chamberlain situation where you win the battle but lose the war."
Plaid Cymru's defence spokesman Adam Price said it was essential to "establish what combination of deception, delusion and ineptitude carried us down this fateful path." And Liberal Democrat foreign spokesman Michael Moore said it was "unacceptable" that no debate had been held on Iraq for more than two years.
Liberal Democrat foreign spokesman Michael Moore said: "It is unacceptable that the government has not allotted time to debate this important issue for over two years and that we have had to rely on an opposition day debate before MPs can discuss this in Parliament." Earlier this month Mr Blair defended the decision to invade Iraq and said it would be a "betrayal" of British forces' sacrifices since 2003, and of Iraq, if troops pulled out of the country too soon.
Mr Blair said earlier this month that the issue of Iraq had been raised on numerous occasions in the Commons since 2003. He said there would be further opportunities for debating it during the Queen's Speech debates next month.
Mr Blair also defended the decision to invade Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein.
He said it would be a "betrayal" of British forces' sacrifices since 2003, and of Iraq as a whole, if troops pulled out of the country "before the job is done".
A defeat in the vote would be embarrassing for the Government but would not mean they have to begin an inquiry.
* You can watch the debate, which is expected to start at about 1540 GMT, live on the BBC News website. There will be a link to the coverage on this page. * You can watch the debate, which is expected to start at about 1540 GMT, live on the BBC News website. There will be a link to the coverage on this page.