Another member of Labour's ruling body has said the party should not invite the interim Iraqi prime minister to speak at its autumn conference.

National Executive Committee member John Holmes condemned Iyad Allawi as a "puppet" and said there would be major protests if he spoke at the Brighton conference in September.

Communication Workers Union official Holmes joins fellow NEC members Mark Seddon and Ann Black and anti-war MPs such as Jeremy Corbyn in saying that such an invite would lead to further party splits.

Holmes told ePolitix.com: "I am very uncomfortable with this idea and I know a lot of party members and other NEC members are as well.

"We know little about this man and what we do know does not sound good. He is basically an American puppet and not the kind of progressive politician we want at our conference.

"If the leadership is extending this invite then I’m afraid it demonstrates their insensitivity to the large number of members who already feel very uncomfortable with the Iraq situation.