Former British defence secretary Geoff Hoon disclosed today that he had feared the armed forces would struggle to cope with commitment of a full-scale land force to Iraq.

Former British defence secretary Geoff Hoon was facing questions about the build-up to the invasion of Iraq as he appeared before the Chilcot inquiry today.

One of Tony Blair's closest advisers will be grilled by the Iraq Inquiry today as it starts a week of evidence sessions dominated by key political figures.

GORDON Brown’s premiership was under siege again yesterday as a former general secretary of the Labour Party stepped forward to complain that Number 10 had been reduced to a “shambles”.

Gordon Brown today brushed off the latest attempt to oust him as British prime minister as “a storm in a teacup”.

BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown fought to quell a challenge to his leadership yesterday from two senior figures in his Labour Party, but the rebellion exposed a badly divided party months before a national election that polls predict Labour will lose.

AS GORDON Brown was getting the better of David Cameron at prime minister’s questions, the television news channels flashed up the breaking news that two former cabinet ministers were demanding a secret ballot on whether he should remain as Labour leader.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was today facing the prospect of a dramatic challenge to his leadership after two former Cabinet ministers issued a call for the issue to be resolved "once and for all".

Britain's Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has resigned from the Cabinet.

The British government has flown in the face of strong opposition by backing a third runway at Heathrow airport.

Ministers were today holding emergency talks on the explosions.

The nationalist SDLP were today accused of blocking moves for a special House of Commons committee to have sittings in Northern Ireland.

British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon today announced 400 extra British troops will be sent to southern Iraq to boost security ahead of elections in the country scheduled for January 30.

THE family of an Iraqi civilian allegedly unlawfully killed by British troops while in custody won a “historic” human rights ruling yesterday which opens the way for an independent investigation into his death.

British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon arrived in the southern Iraqi city of Basra today for talks with Iraqi and British officials.

BRITAIN yesterday said it will respond soon to a US request to send troops to more dangerous areas of Iraq, a politically charged issue that has revived anger over Prime Minister Tony Blair’s support for the war.

Britain has received a request from the United States for help from UK troops in Iraq - and the British Chief of the Defence Staff is expected to recommend whether to comply by the middle of this week, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced today.

Further details of the fire which crippled a Canadian submarine and claimed the life of one of its seamen, as well as the heroic rescue effort to return the vessel and its crew safely to shore, were expected to emerge today.

Britain may send extra troops to Iraq to boost security during elections scheduled for January, British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said today.

BRITISH troop levels in the North are being cut again because of the improving security situation, it was announced yesterday.

The eight British servicemen seized by Iran last week were “forcibly escorted into Iranian territorial waters” before they were detained, the British Ministry of Defence has said.

BRITISH Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said yesterday that any abuse of Iraqi prisoners by British troops would be “rooted out” amid accusations his government had “lost its grip” on Iraq policy.

THE Daily Mirror newspaper said yesterday that Britain’s Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon’s comments about the photographs they published were obviously designed to divert attention from the bigger and more important issue of the abuse of Iraqi detainees by British troops.

IN HIS first public defence of pre-war intelligence, CIA Director George Tenet yesterday said US analysts never claimed Iraq posed an imminent threat.

British defence secretary Geoff Hoon today tried to play down new controversy surrounding the 45-minute claim in the British government’s Iraq dossier.

WAR widow Samantha Roberts yesterday gave Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon “one last chance” to tell her the truth about how her husband died.

BRITISH Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was last night accused of “bullying” after he reportedly said the Government weapons expert David Kelly was “no martyr” and that he took his life because he feared he would be exposed as a liar.

THE British Government yesterday dismissed calls for Geoff Hoon to quit as Defence Secretary over the death of a soldier shot after being ordered to hand back his body armour.

United Nations nuclear inspectors are expected to travel to Libya in the near future to begin the process of dismantling the country’s atomic weapons programmes.

Britain's Ministry of Defence officials have discounted reports that a British soldier was injured in a land mine blast in Iraq on Saturday night.

BRITISH Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was yesterday labelled a liar and a hypocrite by the lawyer for the family of David Kelly.

British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was today labelled a liar and a hypocrite by the lawyer for the family of David Kelly as he launched a blistering attack on the Ministry of Defence.

UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was today labelled a liar and a hypocrite by the lawyer for the family of David Kelly as he launched a blistering attack on Britain's Ministry of Defence.

BBC chairman Gavyn Davies returned to the witness box at the Hutton Inquiry today for the start of the last full day of evidence.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL wanted to expose Government weapons expert David Kelly as the BBC’s source on the Iraq weapons dossier as he thought it would “f***” reporter Andrew’s Gilligan’s story, the Hutton Inquiry was told yesterday.

UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon admitted today that he had approved the plan to confirm the name of Government weapons expert David Kelly to journalists.

Geoff Hoon has insisted the UK government had done nothing wrong in its handling of weapons expert Dr David Kelly.

UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will today mount a second battle to save his career when he is recalled to the glare of the Hutton Inquiry spotlight.

Geoff Hoon was present at a meeting where Britain's Ministry of Defence’s “naming strategy” over Dr David Kelly was discussed, his head of news said today.

THE British Ministry of Defence was yesterday accused of playing a lethal game of “Russian roulette” with Government weapons expert David Kelly.

UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will be called back to give evidence under cross-examination to the Hutton Inquiry next Monday.

The inquiry into the death of weapons expert David Kelly was resuming today, with BBC director general Greg Dyke giving evidence for the first time.

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair was under continued pressure over the death of David Kelly yesterday as his former ministers lined up to criticise his role in the affair.