McConnell defends Blair over Iraq

His remarks came as the Tommy Sheridan's Scottish Socialists claimed the war issue was "breaking up" Labour in Scotland. After the weekend march in which Labour MPs and MSPs joined protests outside their own party's conference, Mr Sheridan claimed such unprecedented events marked "the beginning of the end for Labour in Scotland".

Hugh Kerr, SSP spokesman, said disillusioned Labour members were joining the socialists. "We got 100 recruits at the Glasgow march alone," he said. "I don't know how many came from Labour but I guess there must have been at least a few. Our membership has gone up by at least a couple of hundred since this talk of war began."

A senior Labour activist in Fife told The Herald he and others in the party were on the brink of leaving. He said. "I just need someone to give me the final push - the war, if it comes without UN backing, will be that moment. I seem to have more in common with Tommy Sheridan these days than with Labour and I have been a Labour member for many years." The Herald