WAR could be only hours away as President George Bush’s ultimatum to Saddam Hussein draws closer.

The American leader has given him until 1am tomorrow to quit Iraq or face military action. After an impassioned speech to MPs last night, Prime Minister Tony Blair won Commons backing to send troops into Iraq, but in the process suffered the biggest Government rebellion in modern times.

A total of 138 Labour MPs, plus one teller, backed a rebel amendment calling for more time for weapons inspections, more than the 121 Labour backbenchers who voted against the Government over Iraq debate nearly a month ago.

However the number of rebels in the Commons vote last night fell short of the 165 mark which would have left the Government relying on Conservative votes to go ahead with military action.

Among the MPs who voted against the Government were Medway’s Bob Marshall-Andrews. Mr Marshall-Andrews said the size of the rebellion meant Mr Blair did “not have a mandate to send people to war”.

But Jonathan Shaw, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, said he had absolutely no compunction in voting with the Government. He stressed: “It is a decision I made after listening to many testimonies and considerable amounts of information. But I hope I do not have to take this decision again as an MP.

“It is a matter of hearts and minds for me. In my heart I was reluctant but my mind was quite clear.”

“There was a very moving testimony from a woman at Halabja - decimated by Iraqi chemical weapons 15 years ago - who had five children. The woman had to get out of the village and she could only take two of the children. There are many more moving testimonies like that.

Gillingham MP Paul Clark, who also voted with the Government, said: “Obviously, when you are casting your vote for something which might lead to military action you have to think hard about it.

"You do not do it easily. But at this 11th hour I still sincerely hope that military force is not necessary to enforce UN resolutions and that Saddam and his family opt for safe passage out of Iraq - and so stop the war.”