Defeated Iraq vote hailed by SNP

Angus Robertson said "MPs of principle" had supported the inquiry

A Scottish National Party MP said he was "absolutely delighted" to secure the support of 273 MPs in the attempt to secure an inquiry into the Iraq War.

Despite the motion being defeated by 25 votes, SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson said "MPs of principle" had supported the inquiry call.

After the vote, Defence Secretary Des Browne told the BBC there would be an inquiry "when the time is right".

A UK Government source later said this had been a "slip of the tongue".

Mr Robertson said: "I think he was speaking the truth. I am only sorry that the foreign secretary and his frontbench colleagues did not have the honesty to say so in the House of Commons yesterday."

'Quagmire of Iraq'

The SNP MP for Moray said: "With nine MPs in the House of Commons, we are absolutely delighted to have managed to secure the support of a grand total of more than 270 MPs across the parties, including Labour.

"MPs of principle who believe that after three years of the quagmire of Iraq that it is time for an inquiry."

He added that the lessons of the Iraq War needed to be learnt immediately.

"At a time of global instability there are all kinds of issues where people are clamouring for the support of our servicemen and women who go into the firing line in our name," Mr Robertson said.

"I think because we are putting people in danger's way, we need to understand why it is we go into conflicts."

What the SNP and the Tories want to do is to carry on having inquiry after inquiry until they get the answer they are looking for David Cairns Scotland Office

Inverclyde Labour MP David Cairns, the parliamentary under-secretary for Scotland, said he was not expecting an inquiry.

"That is not to say you can't learn lessons. I think that is the point that Des Browne was making last night and Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, was making in the House of Commons," he said.

"There have already been four inquiries into various aspects of the Iraq War.

"What the SNP and the Tories want to do is to carry on having inquiry after inquiry until they get the answer they are looking for."

It was the first full Commons debate on Iraq since July 2004.

The SNP and Plaid Cymru motion called for a committee of seven senior MPs to review "the way in which the responsibilities of government were discharged in relation to Iraq".