UN: Britain was at diplomatic war with France last night as the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, signalled that conflict in Iraq has drawn closer.
British anger at the French threat to veto any second UN Security Council resolution authorising the use of force was put on full public display when the prime minister's official spokesman accused the French of "poisoning" the diplomatic process.
As the Americans also turned their fire on Paris, Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw sustained Britain's assault on its EU partner, describing President Chirac's declared intent to use the veto in all circumstances as "extraordinary".
And while Mr Blair and President Bush allowed a little more time for diplomacy, the drumbeat to military action was accentuated by the cancellation of Queen Elizabeth's trip to Belgium next week, on the advice of the Foreign Office. It said that in the prevailing circumstances it was sensible that the head of state should remain at home.
The cancellation of the sovereign's trip, during which she was scheduled to visit NATO headquarters, came as the Defence Secretary Mr Geoff Hoon announced further troop deployments to the Gulf and as the RAF prepared to launch its biggest strike force since the Suez crisis of 1956.
And amid confusing and conflicting signals - this time from Washington - as to whether the draft second resolution would be pushed to a vote, many Westminster MPs were convinced they would be called to approve the commitment of British forces within days.
The American decision to allow more time for agreement at the UN was being seen as an attempt by President Bush to help Mr Blair in his efforts to manage his internal Labour Party difficulties and widespread public opposition to war without explicit UN sanction.
However, Mr Blair's own admission yesterday morning that a second UN resolution was "less likely than at any time before" prompted renewed speculation that the leader of the Commons, Mr Robin Cook, might be planning to join forces with International Development Secretary, Ms Clare Short, and quit the Cabinet in such circumstances.
Mr Blair's bleak assessment of the prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough came from the Conservative leader, Mr Iain Duncan Smith. Following talks with Mr Blair at Number 10, he told reporters: "The prime minister told me that although they continue to try to seek a second resolution in the UN, and will continue to do so, that second resolution is now probably less likely than at any time before."
The Conservative leader continued: "He [Mr Blair\] made the reason for this the fact that the French have been and become completely intransigent and literally threatened to veto almost anything that is put forward to the Security Council."
Confirming his understanding that this meant "necessarily military action has become more likely", Mr Duncan Smith said his thoughts and prayers were consequently now with the members of the British armed forces and their families.
This account prompted reports last night that Ms Short was now a step closer to resigning from the government, as she threatened last Sunday night during a radio interview. Downing Street insiders said they did not "recognise" this latest indication of Ms Short's likely course of action following her 50-minute meeting with the prime minister immediately after yesterday's Cabinet.
However, government sources were offering no denial of reports that Mr Cook had made his intentions clear during the Cabinet discussion of the latest diplomatic and military developments. Mr Cook reportedly warned colleagues that any move to war could be open to legal challenge, despite Mr Blair's apparent assurance that the existing Resolution 1441 provides a sufficient legal basis for war.
Mr Straw confirmed that Britain was prepared to drop one of its key tests for measuring Iraqi compliance over disarmament, namely that President Saddam Hussein make a televised broadcast admitting he had lied about weapons of mass destruction. Mr Straw added that "of course, there has to be a statement, in his native Arabic" accepting that he has been in non-compliance with a series of UN resolutions since 1991.