Writing in the Guardian, former Cabinet minister Clare Short says that the United Nations must take immediate control of the situation in Iraq.

She says: "If it is true that our major purpose was to relieve the Iraqi people from the suffering inflicted by Saddam Hussein, then we should hand over political authority to the UN and internationalise the support for Iraqi-led reconstruction.

"This would make possible the run down and replacement of US/UK troops over time and ensure that the future of Iraq is determined by Iraqis."