Tory call for Iraq inquiry defeated

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Tony Blair has suffered the final backbench revolt of his premiership over Iraq.

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At the end of a half-day debate, the Conservative motion demanding a Privy Council inquiry was rejected by 288 votes to 253.

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Mrs Beckett said: "At this critical juncture, when Iraq's future clearly hangs in the balance, it would be wrong, plain and simply wrong, for us to divert our focus from the tasks that need completing now and once again turn our gaze backwards to what has happened in the past. To carry this motion would be an unnecessary and a damaging diversion of effort, focus and attention."

But Labour's Jeremy Corbyn (Islington N), backed the Tory motion, insisting: "The argument that we should not be having an inquiry into the causes of a war that has cost the lives of so many people, that caused such huge controversy around the world, frankly is absurd. It is the job of Parliament, it is our duty as parliamentarians, to investigate what is going on, to challenge what the Executive is doing and to try to represent public opinion as best we can in that."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6701991,00.html