Bournemouth, Oct 01: Prime Minister Tony Blair's ruling Labor Party today blocked a debate on a motion criticising the Iraq war at its annual convention. Some Labor Party members, incensed that the government joined the US-led war without explicit UN backing, have tried to present an emergency motion that declares the war unjustified and calls on British troops to be brought home. But a party spokesman, Matthew Doyle, said today that the motion didn't meet the requirements of party rules for a ``contemporary'' motion, and wouldn't be put to a debate.
The Rail Maritime and Transport Union, which proposed the motion, said it would challenge the ruling. An RMT source said labor officials had decided to allow a 75-minute debate on Iraq following a general debate about the state of the world. A vote would be allowed, but only on a party policy document largely recording the conflict's chronology. Bureau Report