A new attempt to put the "most crucial issue of our age" - President Bush's proposed Son of Star Wars - on to the general election agenda was made yesterday by the Labour veteran, Mr Tam Dalyell.
Mr Dalyell, who will be the Father of the Commons, if reelected, as its longest serving member, said that this was the "great undiscussed issue" during the campaign. And he warned: "We would be the target for any country seeking to disable the US strategic missile system."
Mr Dalyell, who is defending his Linlithgow seat, said: "This is an issue that dwarfs - or ought to dwarf - all other matters. It would be a terrible thing if the support of a British Labour government were used by Bush as an argument against his American critics in the Senate who do not want the project to go ahead."
He has framed a series of Commons questions to the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the Defence Secretary and the Environment Secretary should a Labour Government be re-elected on June 7th.