ONLY two of Kent’s Labour backenchers were among the 199 MPs of all parties who defied the Government over Iraq last night.

Medway MP Bob Marshall-Andrews and Sittingbourne and Sheppey's Derek Wyatt joined 121 Labour MPs backing a Commons motion which stated that the case for war against Iraq was “unproven.”

However, five of Kent’s other Labour MPs were loyal to the Government and voted to ensure that the anti-war motion was defeated by 194 votes.

They were: Paul Clark (Gillingham); Steve Ladyman (Thanet South); Gywn Prosser (Dover); Jonathan Shaw (Chatham and Aylesford) and Chris Pond (Gravesham). Dartford MP Dr Howard Stoate was not recorded as having voted.

Last night’s marathon debate left Tony Blair facing the biggest ever Commons revolt a Government has suffered.

However, with the exception of a minor intervention by Bob Marshall-Andrews, none of Kent’s MPs succeeded in speaking during the debate.

He said today: "When you're in a three line whip your government is directing you to vote in a certain way and you vote against only if it's a strong matter of conscience.

"We had a lot of people who felt very strongly and came from all sides of the political spectrum. I fundamentally disagree with much of the American foreign policy in the Middle East and Britain should take much more of an independent line."