KENT MPs say the Government must produce evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction before they are prepared to support a war.

Several Labour and Conservative backbench MPs in the county also believe there should be a second United Nations resolution in support of military action before Britain agrees to support any invasion.

Chatham and Aylesford Labour MP Jonathan Shaw said: “We need to see some material evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. That means the inspectors must be allowed to continue to do their job. A second resolution is only likely to come if there is evidence that Saddam is breaching the first.”

“For any conflict to be successful in terms of the wider battle against global terrorism, there has to be a broad coalition of international support.”

These sentiments were backed by Faversham and Mid Kent MP Hugh Robertson (Con), who served in the Gulf during the last conflict with Iraq.

“It is increasingly important that this issue is addressed through the United Nations. We live in an extremely uncertain world and that world needs some authority. I would have very serious objections if we invaded without a proper mandate from the UN,” he said.

However, he backed the military build up in the Middle East. “If you want to apply the maximum amount of pressure on Baghdad, we are doing exactly the right thing.”

He warned that a second Gulf conflict would be very different. “Invading Iraq is a vastly different proposition to repelling them from Kuwait.”

Tunbridge Wells MP Archie Norman (Con) said:

“There is no point in trying to persuade Saddam to give up his weapons by waving a feather duster at him. We have to look as if we mean it. But there is still a long way to go to convince people we should go to war. Iraq is not the only threat and the broader issue is that of Islamic Militancy and the effect of any action on stability in the Middle East."

Gillingham Labour MP Paul Clark said: “I would prefer there to be a second resolution but we must wait to see what the inspection teams find. Constituents are concerned about the prospect of war but at the same time they recognise Saddam Hussein is a threat and we must deal with it.”

Thanet South MP Steve Ladyman (Labour), who is the private parliamentary secretary to the armed forces minister, said it was important people appreciated that military action might prove the only solution.

“I want to see a second UN resolution and I want to see clear evidence that Iraq has weapons. If he is allowed to keep them, they will almost certainly be used. I want a peaceful solution as much as anyone but if a consequence of doing nothing is that he uses these weapons, history will judge us to have acted as the gateway to terrorism.”