Anti-war families to set up party

Spectre's founders will meet within the next two weeks to discuss strategy.

They include Reg Keys, who contested Tony Blair's seat at the last election, and Rose Gentle, who stood against Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram.

An official launch is being timed to coincide with the Labour Party conference in Manchester in September.

Spectre plans to contest as many as 70 seats at the next general election, as well by-elections.

Voting impact

Mr Keys and Mrs Gentle have been involved in the Military Families Against the War organisation, which feels the UK involvement in Iraq conflict was unjustified.

"We looked at our achievements in the campaign against the Iraq war and decided to set a party up to provide a focus for that," said Mrs Gentle, whose son Gordon, 19, was killed in a roadside bombing in Basra in 2004.

She took 3.2% of the vote in East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow at the general election, against Mr Ingram's 48.7%.

Mr Keys, whose son Thomas was among six Royal Military Police soldiers killed in Iraq in 2003, claimed 10.3% of the vote at Sedgefield, against Mr Blair's 58.9%.

He believes enough votes could be drawn away from ministers in future elections to impact on results.

Mr Keys told the Guardian newspaper: "We all feel we've been lied to, ignored and, frankly, insulted.

"But now it's different. Now we're going to make ministers pay with their seats."

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