British mount a renewed push for resolution support

BRITISH ministers were last night mounting a renewed diplomatic push to win backing for a fresh United Nations resolution on Iraq after being rocked by the biggest backbench revolt of modern times.

Downing Street insisted Tony Blair would not be deflected from his strategy of confronting Saddam Hussein despite Wednesday night's vote by 121 rebel Labour MPs plus one teller saying that the case for war was "as yet unproven".

However, the scale of the revolt increased the need for the prime minister to gain a fresh UN mandate for military action if he is not to find himself dangerously dependent on the support of the Tories in the event of war.