Labour MP who quit over war is backing Lord Goldsmith

Michael Jabez Foster MP, the solicitor who resigned from the government last week in protest at the Iraq crisis, told the Gazette this week that the war is legal - and backed his former boss, the Attorney-General, Lord Goldsmith.

The Labour MP for Hastings and Rye and former parliamentary private secretary to the Attorney-General told the Gazette: 'I very much back Lord Goldsmith's arguments [in favour of the legality of war] and believe that he is pretty much unimpeachable.'

Mr Foster explained: 'My concern was the legitimacy of war.

If you have authority to do something, but you do not have support of the nations from the group whose authority you rely on, then the war lacks legitimacy.'

Mr Foster stressed that he hoped the war would have a successful outcome with a minimal loss of life.

Jeremy Fleming