Cook: Appeal for unity

Tony Blair must rule out any repeat of the Iraq war if he is to build bridges with Labour's membership, Robin Cook has said.

The former Cabinet minister told the BBC's Breakfast with Frost on Sunday that there was no imminent threat to Blair's leadership.

But he warned that the prime minister must give a series of undertakings if he is to win back the support and respect of large tracts of his rank-and-file membership.

"I think it is very important that Tony Blair makes it clear that... the decision he took on Iraq will not happen again," he said.

"I hope in this year's conference he will not be repeating that line that in the same circumstances he would do it again."

Cook said Blair must "reach out to these people and bring them back to Labour" by making clear "that Iraq was unique, that it is not going to happen again".

In an appeal for unity, Cook said the party would unite behind its leader provided he shows he is listening to its views.

"Tony Blair has said that he intends to continue to the next election and beyond the next election. At this party conference what we will want to make sure is that we have a united party that can fight the next election as a united party," said the former foreign secretary.

"Tony Blair has his part to play in achieving that unity and building that unity. Nobody is going to seriously challenge Tony for the leadership, but as he himself might put it, leadership has responsibilities as well as rights.

"I think that he needs to listen to the party, to the wider country, particularly all those millions of people who were very concerned about going to war in the first place."

"And he needs to make it clear that he has not just listened to them, but he has also taken on board their message, and that he understands that he cannot take Britain to war again in such very divided circumstances."