Global Policy Forum

International Development Secretary Clare Short has quit her cabinet job, accusing Tony Blair of breaking promises over Iraq's future. She will be replaced in the cabinet by Baroness Amos, the Foreign Office minister who has been the government's spokeswoman on international development in the House of Lords. The news comes just days after the controversial Labour MP had missed a crucial House of Commons vote on plans for foundation hospitals. Ms Short had threatened to quit before the start of war with Iraq, describing Tony Blair as "reckless" during the build-up to military action.

But she decided to stay, saying that to leave on the eve of war would be "copping out" when Tony Blair had no option but to go ahead without a fresh United Nations mandate. Ms Short told the prime minister of her decision to resign when she telephoned him just 20 minutes before the news was announced. She is expected make a resignation statement in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon.

'Broken promises'

Ms Short says her position was made impossible by the draft new UN resolution about rebuilding Iraq, which is still being discussed at the Security Council. She told BBC News: "The position the UK's adopting in the Security Council is totally dishonourable and breaches the promises that the UN would have the proper role in bringing into being a legitimate interim Iraqi authority. "I cannot defend it. It is wrong in international law and for the rebuilding of Iraq and it breaches the promises that the prime minister gave to me." She warned that the UK was colluding in a resolution which could perpetuate international divisions, marginalise the UN and make it more difficult to rebuild Iraq.

In her resignation letter, she also accused the prime minister and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw of "secretly" negotiating a UN Security Council resolution which contradicted promises she had given in Parliament to MPs. She complained that she only saw the text of the resolution because it was published on BBC News Online. Ms Short has been critical of issues such as the number of government advisers while in government. Now free to speak out from the back benches, she said she would "try and help the Labour Party to stop the government from making errors".

Number 10 denial

Downing Street said Ms Short's five minute phone call to Mr Blair had been "perfectly cordial". The prime minister's official spokesman moved to rebut some of Ms Short's accusations. He said he was not aware of any assurances Mr Blair had given about post-conflict Iraq that had not been kept. The new UN resolution was in line with Mr Blair's statement that the UN would have a vital role in Iraq, argued the spokesman.

The spokesman paid tribute to Ms Short, whose department was one of the "finest if not the finest aid departments in the world". "That was in no small measure due to the energy and commitment of Clare Short", he added.

Amos takes over

Jack Straw rejected claims of secrecy, saying that "by definition" the UN process was open. "This one, as already drafted, would allow for that vital role for the United Nations," said Mr Straw. The speed with which Baroness Amos has been appointed to succeed Ms Short suggests her departure was no surprise to Number 10. Baroness Amos becomes the UK's first black woman cabinet minister and - unusually for a departmental head - will tackle her brief from the House of Lords.

Splits sign

Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said Ms Short's departure underlined divisions which were damaging UK interests. He said: "I think this demonstrates what we are seeing over the last few weeks, the government is split from top to bottom on the euro, foundation hospitals, and Iraq." Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Matthew Taylor said it was sad to see such a "doughty campaigner" for international development go.

He argued the reasons for her decision reflected Lib Dem warnings about the consequences of failing to have a fresh UN mandate for the war. Labour MP Graham Allen, one of the backbench rebels in the Iraq votes, said the resignation showed cabinet government had been replaced by a presidential system.

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