Blair urged to recall MPs as Ark Royal sails

The Prime Minister was today under pressure to recall Parliament so MPs could discuss the possibility of military action against Iraq.

The calls came as it was reported that the Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier Ark Royal is to set sail for the Mediterrean next month.

The BBC Radio 4 Today Programme reported that the ship, together with a full compliment of Harrier jets and helicopters, would be accompanied by a Type 42 destroyer and was expected to leave Portsmouth in five weeks' time to take part in a "long planned" deployment.

The exercise with the US fleet would leave the carrier in an important position if Britain took part in any military attack on Iraq. But the Ministry of Defence stressed the exercise had been a long-term plan.

Tam Dalyell, Father of the House of Commons, wrote to Tony Blair yesterday, asking if he did not have a "moral obligation" to recall Parliament in early September.

His letter followed a warning from a former chief of defence staff that Britain risked being dragged into a "very, very messy and long-lasting Middle East war" if it went along with American plans for a military assault on Iraq.

Field Marshal Lord Bramall called on the Government to exercise caution, warning that an invasion to topple Iraqi dictator might not be morally or legally justified.

In his letter, Mr Dalyell, MP for Linlithgow, said: "In circumstances in which a distinguished Chief of the General Staff feels obliged to draw ominous parallels with Suez, 1956 and warn of a very messy and long-lasting Middle East war; in which 10 trade union leaders in a letter to a newspaper express their extreme concern; and in which an increasing number of your own Parliamentary colleagues wonder about the legality of a pre-emptive strike on Iraq without a fresh and specific UN mandate, do you not have a moral obligation to ask for the recall of Parliament in early September?"

Mr Dalyell added: "It is always supposedly too early to make a decision to recall Parliament - until it is too late."

US President George Bush earlier dismissed an offer by Baghdad to hold talks on the possible readmission after four years of United Nations weapons inspectors.

"Nothing's changed," said Mr Bush. "I'm a patient man. I'll use all the tools at our disposal."

US arms control minister John Bolton confirmed that "regime change" in Baghdad remained American policy, whether or not Saddam let the inspectors back in.

Iraq's foreign minister Naji Sabri wrote to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan last week inviting the head of the inspection team, Hans Blix, to Baghdad for discussions.

But Mr Blix said that there would be no point in talks unless Iraq first accepted the return of the inspectors.

London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat yesterday quoted Mr Blix as saying: "I think they have to say that they accept the return of weapons inspectors according to the resolutions of the Security Council.

"The situation would be much worse if I went to Baghdad and then talks broke down. We don't want that."

Britain and America claim Saddam has revived his nuclear, chemical and biological warfare programmes following the 1998 withdrawal of the inspectors tasked with finding and eliminating them.