Dilemma for Brown as party members press for Iraq troop withdrawal

By Andrew Grice, Political Editor
Published: 21 May 2007

Gordon Brown is under mounting pressure to speed up the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq after he takes over as Prime Minister next month.

Mr Brown was questioned on the issue at Labour's first leadership hustings meeting in Coventry yesterday by party members who want him to signal a decisive break with Tony Blair's most controversial policy.

The prime minister-in-waiting faces a delicate balancing act on Iraq. He wants to offer his party and disillusioned voters a fresh start. But he knows that a premature withdrawal could cause tension with the Iraqi government and Washington, where some figures are speculating that he will not offer the same unwavering support that Mr Blair gave President George Bush. continue...