Media focus on Tony Blair’s 45 minute Iraq weapons claim is "absolutely ludicrous", a Cabinet minister insisted on Saturday.

Speaking to a Fabians conference, Peter Hain hit out at press coverage that, he claimed, was damaging public trust in democratic politics.

"People are increasingly sick of the media obsession with this issue," he told the gathering of Labour supporters.

"The idea that [the 45 minute] issue has suddenly been elevated into the be all and end all of the question of trust in the prime minister is absolutely ludicrous."

Hain believes the rights and wrongs of military intervention in Iraq have "nothing to do with the 45 minute claim, [which] was not even mentioned in the House of Commons debate" before Britain went to war.

The leader of the House of Commons also attacked press hypocrisy following headline claims of government lies and judicial "whitewash" after the Hutton Inquiry.

"It seems that everyone are liars except for journalists," he said to applause.

"The biggest spinners are the journalists and the media and the sooner we do something about it the better."

Highlighting Downing Street concern over the "relentless chase" of news stories, Hain suggested that the current media fall out over Iraq’s alleged weapons capability is "something more corrosive than the traditional enmity".

The minister stressed that ministers had no plans to "interfere" with the media, calling instead for a "new informal contract" between government and the press.

"This is a systemic problem," he said.  "I want a free and independent press, but the issue is how politics is discussed in an intelligent fashion."

A shift in the media’s 24-hour "competitive" news culture was needed, Hain said, "so that people can make up their own minds rather than being catapulted into a frenzy".