← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · na Gaeil is gile
Thread ID: 5250 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2003-02-27
2003-02-27 16:23 | User Profile
Full article at: [url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-593112,00.html]http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-...-593112,00.html[/url]
Labour mutiny leaves Blair out on a limb By Philip Webster, Political Editor
Case for Iraq war rejected in biggest-ever government rebellion
A MASS mutiny by more than 120 Labour MPs over war with Iraq left Tony Blair facing a perilous moment in his premiership last night. The rebels were among 199 MPs ââ¬â almost a third of the Commons ââ¬â who voted against early military action to disarm President Saddam Hussein. It was the biggest revolt against any governing party in parliamentary history and it served notice on the Prime Minister that he will have to win a second UN resolution to avoid his future being called into question.
Amid dramatic scenes in the Commons, 121 Labour rebels joined 13 Conservatives and 52 Liberal Democrats to vote for an amendment declaring that the case for military action had not yet been made.
The rebel amendment was defeated by 393 votes to 199, a majority of 194. The government motion backing its UN efforts to disarm Saddam was passed by 434 votes to 124. On that the revolt fell to 59 MPs.
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