Today's cabinet meeting was an "exhibition of unanimity" over Tony Blair's Iraq policy, the Labour Party chairman has claimed.

John Reid insisted that all cabinet ministers - including outspoken international development secretary, Clare Short - are united in backing Britain's backing for tough action against Saddam Hussein.

Addressing Westminster journalists, Reid dismissed claims that deep divisions existed on the question of the need for a second UN resolution before any Gulf war.

"There is a preference for a second UN resolution but we are not going to be confined to that," he said.

He also dismissed claims of a rift with the US administration over whether there should be a second UN resolution, arguing instead there was a "common message".

"The world demands that Saddam Hussein gives up his weapons of mass destruction. The international community wishes that to be done peacefully and by diplomacy. But if he doesn't he will have to be disarmed by force," Reid said.

Reid claimed that during a 45-minute discussion on Iraq ministers around the cabinet table had commended Tony Blair on his performance during a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party and during a heated prime minister's questions.

"I have no reason to believe that the unanimity that was experienced at that meeting will not be followed by anything other than unanimity in practice," the Labour chairman told the press.

He also sought to show that the government was not determined to go to war.

"I don't think that any civilised or democratic society considers the use of military force without the gravest consideration," Reid said.

Blair is in Scotland today in a bid to win over a sceptical public to his Iraq war plans; latest opinion polls put support for military action at 34 per cent.

The visit comes the country's parliament debates a Scottish National Party motion which accuses the prime minister of pursuing "an inevitable path to war".

Ark Royal today sets sail from Scottish shores and HMS Ocean leaves Plymouth for the Gulf as military preparations gather pace for expected military action against Saddam Hussein.

Blair will meet with party members in a bid to calm a growing Labour rebellion.

But his visit comes as a senior Labour MP warned that "all is not well within Labour's ranks".

Writing in the New Statesmen, former cabinet minister Stephen Byers said: "Labour governments lose office when they lose touch with party members.

"The present concerns have not come about as a direct result of individual issues such as the government's approach to Iraq. The problem is deeper."

Robust Defence

During prime minister's questions, Blair mounted a robust defence of his approach to Iraq.

"This is a difficult time, I understand the concerns that people have," he said.

"But sometimes the job of a prime minister is to say the things people don't want them to say but that we believe are necessary to say.

"Because the threat is real and if we don't deal with it then the consequences of our weakness will haunt future generations."

The prime minister insisted the West had a duty to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction

"It is right because weapons of mass destruction, the proliferation of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, the ballistic missile technology along with it are a real threat to the security of the world and this country," Blair argued.

"The truth is that this issue of weapons of mass destruction is a real threat to the world. I believe it is only a matter of time before it is linked to international terrorism."

"Does anyone believe that if we don't take a stand as an international community now in respect of weapons of mass destruction that some terrorist group is not in future going to get a hold of this material and use it."

During heated Commons exchanges, the Conservatives attacked cabinet "divisions" over Iraq.

Iain Duncan Smith accused the government of being "incapable of speaking with one voice" as troops prepared for deployment in the region.

"As we speak British troops are being deployed yet the government is incapable of speaking with one voice," said Duncan Smith.

"Doesn't the prime minister understand that he and his cabinet must be clear and united in order to send the right message to Saddam Hussein, the British troops and the British people?"

The Conservative leader sought to highlight apparent differences between the prime minister and Clare Short.

"The prime minister said that a second UN resolution is preferable, the international development secretary said it is essential. Which is the government's position?" he asked.

Blair replied that "everybody" had spelt out the same position regarding both the need for UN backing for action against Saddam Hussein and the possibility of military strikes if "an unreasonable veto" blocked progress to disarm Iraq.

"However, having said that, I believe it is not merely preferable to have a second UN resolution, I believe that we will get one," he told MPs.

And the prime minister accused the Tories of inventing political differences where there were none.

"Rather than trying to pretend there is some difference where there isn't we should unite surely around, I hope all of this House, will unite around the sensible position that we have a UN resolution, id it breached then action must follow because the UN mandate has got to be upheld," he said.

Opening fire on another front, Alan Beith, standing in for Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, asked whether UN weapons inspectors would be given the time to carry out their job without being bounced into a war by the US.

The prime minister said the UN inspectors were getting full support. "They are being allowed to do their job," Blair said.

But Beith remained unconvinced and concerned that Washington was pushing for action.

"Surely this is about disarming Saddam Hussein with the widest international support? Are there any circumstance in which the prime minister would not commit our forces?" he asked.

Blair stressed that a united front against Iraq was vital at a crucial moment to deal with a situation that had gone on for nearly a decade.

"The United States has gone down the UN route. We have the international community united. The single most dangerous thing we could do at the moment is if we send out any signal of weakness," he said.

Washington Talks

As the drum beat of war grows louder, Downing Street announced that the prime minister is to meet the American president at the end of this month for key talks on Iraq.

The meeting will come just four days after United Nations weapons inspectors report back to the security council on their progress in tracking down Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.

While Blair has said the January 27 statement from chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, will not automatically trigger war, commentators have suggested the meeting could see the green light given to military action.

Blair will meet Blix at Chequers on Friday to discuss the progress made so far by the inspection team.

Number 10 repeated that war is not inevitable.

"No-one welcomes the prospect of war but the decision in the end will be made by Saddam," said the official spokesman.

Blair had earlier sought to quell a looming Labour rebellion over a possible war.

He addressed the parliamentary Labour Party on Wednesday in a bid to calm intense opposition to his plans.

Blair stressed that he still believes the UN route is possible - but warned that action must be taken to disarm Saddam Hussein.

The showdown came amid mounting criticism of the prime minister's increasingly hawkish approach to Iraq.

Senior Labour sources are set to embark on a concerted campaign to address grassroots concern about a possible war.

Reid has written to the cabinet asking ministers to talk to activists in a bid to ease fears of a split between the government and grassroots members.

But a series of Labour MPs, and several cabinet ministers, have let it be known that they will oppose moves to launch a military offensive without a second UN resolution which specifically sanctions the use of force.

Ministers fear that cabinet resignations could spark a mass-walkout by rank-and-file party members.