Puzzled PM faces his critics

Blair faces a tricky day

By Mark Davies BBC News Online political reporter

Tony Blair gives the impression of being ever so slightly puzzled just now.

Barely a day goes by without a Labour backbencher or two ripping into the prime minister over his strong backing for George Bush's stance on Iraq.

And Mr Blair seems bemused as to why he is being given such a hard time.

It is, they fear, a case of more the president's poodle than wise counsellor

He insists that military action against Iraq is far from imminent, that no decisions have been made.

Yet no matter how often he says it, his critics continue to harangue him. And that seems to leave the prime minister very puzzled indeed.

On the one hand, Mr Blair has tried to reassure his critics that action is not about to be launched against Iraq, that they really must not worry too much about that just yet.

But on the other, he is said to have described those concerned about action against Iraq as "naive".

Unusual suspects

On Wednesday, Mr Blair will come face-to-face with those critics as he attends a regular meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Then he will make a Commons statement on the Middle East crisis - with the Iraq issue never far from MPs' minds.

There is little appetite among many MPs for action against Saddam

Almost 150 MPs, 125 of them from the Labour benches, have signed a Commons motion opposing military action against Iraq.

Not all are from the band of critical backbench troublemakers known as the "usual suspects".

And worse still for Mr Blair, there are constant reminders that some of his own ministers are against any hardening of the UK's stance on Iraq.

On Wednesday, the prime minister will try to convince his MPs that his response to the Iraq question is the right response.

But his tough talking in Texas has angered his critics even more.

Eroded

After 11 September, many MPs seemed reasonably satisfied that Mr Blair could play a role in guiding Mr Bush towards appropriate action.

The notion that Mr Blair is a key influence on the US president is increasingly mocked at Westminster

Since then, their confidence has been eroded. They increasingly see Mr Blair at the US President's beck and call. They are not convinced he has the influence he believes he has.

It is, they fear, a case of more the president's poodle than wise counsellor.

They would be much happier if Mr Blair adopted the more detached approach of some of his counterparts in the rest of Europe.

The prime minister, however, clearly feels he can play a role in persuading Mr Bush that he should not adopt an isolationist view in his approach to Iraq.

His concern may be that if world leaders shun the opportunity to influence the president, he will go ahead and act anyway.

Neglect

It is better, the prime minister's supporters say, to be within the inner circle than looking on from beyond.

That may be true, but backbenchers are increasingly of the view that whatever Mr Blair says will not make a great deal of difference when push comes to shove.

They see the prime minister as responding too readily to US requests for help in Afghanistan and fear the same will happen in relation to Iraq.

They also say Mr Bush neglected the crisis in the Middle East for too long - and that the UK didn't do enough to persuade him to intervene.

Indeed, the notion that Mr Blair is a key influence on the US president is increasingly mocked at Westminster.

No matter how much it puzzles the prime minister, some backbenchers just don't buy that.