Iraq dogs Blair as party conference starts

1.00pm

BRIGHTON - Iraq overshadowed the start of Tony Blair's Labour Party conference on Sunday despite the prime minister's efforts to turn attention to the domestic agenda ahead of a general election expected next year.

Blair wants to show party and public he has a raft of new policies on childcare, pensions and education, but rising bloodshed in Iraq and the threat of death hanging over a British hostage continued to stalk him.

Party members, divided over Blair's decision to back the US-led invasion, backed a motion on Sunday to debate the Iraq war on Thursday -- a move that will keep Iraq in the headlines and could prove embarrassing for Blair.

But the fate of 62-year-old Kenneth Bigley, whose captors in Iraq have threatened to behead him, took the spotlight as his brother Paul spoke via telephone to a packed anti-war meeting on the fringe of the conference.

"I've received information this evening that Ken is alive," Bigley said via telephone from the Netherlands, saying the government had done little to try to free his brother, who has been held for some 10 days.

"I'm not asking you to negotiate, simply to communicate. Just simply send a lousy, bloody fax," he added.

Paul Bigley, who broke down during the call, said Blair's silence over Bigley was a "kiss of death" for his brother.

Ministers strained to keep policy in the shop window.

"It is inevitable for decent people to be concerned about the war and the terrible torture that Ken Bigley's family is going through," Health Secretary John Reid said. "That has to be dealt with alongside the domestic agenda."

Blair stood firm on his Iraq policy on Sunday and rebuffed reports that he considered resigning about six months ago, saying he had new vigour for the country's top job.

"I'm not the wobbling sort," Blair said on BBC TV's Breakfast with Frost. "I'm restless to do more and do better."

"If we manage to stabilise Iraq and give it the chance to become a democracy this will be of huge importance to our own security," Blair said.

The size of Blair's parliamentary majority and the failure of the opposition to capitalise on his vulnerability over Iraq, make pollsters cautiously confident of a historic third win for Labour in the election expected in May.

But an opinion poll by Mori on Sunday put Labour a point behind their Conservative opponents, a result, which if mirrored at the next election, would slash Blair's majority to just a handful of seats.

The Prime Minister's personal trust ratings have slumped as many voters do not believe the reasons he gave for war.

A year and a half after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, the headlines are full of bloodshed in Iraq.

But Blair refuses to apologise for Britain's involvement in Iraq, a move that could assuage critics. Blair prefers to win his party back by focusing on Labour's domestic policy plans.

Keen to draw attention to a strong economic record, low unemployment and high investment in schools and hospitals, Blair said this week would see fresh plans for childcare, pensions and tackling youth unemployment.

"I still think the single biggest passion for the government is education," said the Prime Minister.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq