PRESIDENT BUSH and Tony Blair agreed yesterday to back a new UN resolution sending a multinational force to Lebanon, as criticism grew of their failure to call for an immediate ceasefire in the region.

The two leaders refused to denounce Israel’s offensive in a joint White House press conference that did little to quell criticism of the Prime Minister from normally loyal allies in his own party.

Mr Blair suggested that a plan agreed with President Bush after 90 minutes of talks to reach an international deal could halt the fighting as early as next week. But it seemed unlikely that this would placate a growing feeling in Labour ranks that Mr Blair has stuck too closely to the aggressive American and Israeli positions throughout the conflict.

Even Mr Blair’s own Cabinet ministers have been privately critical of his handling of the crisis, with one saying that it “could be the end of him”. The Times disclosed yesterday that David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, and Lord Grocott, Chief Whip in the Lords — both of whom are staunch Blairites — spoke out against his position at last Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.

Under the deal announced at the White House, Condoleezza Rice will travel to the region today to seek Israeli and Lebanese backing for the multinational force. It is likely to be led by French and Turkish troops and contain others from India, Indonesia and Italy, and will be backed by a “Chapter 7” UN resolution making it mandatory.

During the talks Mr Bush also apologised for America’s use of Glasgow’s Prestwick Airport to ferry laser-guided bombs to Israel without following proper procedures. “The President said sorry there was a problem. It was a gracious thing to do,” Mr Blair’s official spokesman said.

Labour backbenchers were not impressed by the meeting. An ultra-Blairite MP said last night: “This is incredibly damaging for Tony. It is not really because people think that we are doing the Americans’ bidding. What is dawning on the Parliamentary Labour Party is that Tony Blair actually believes this, and that almost makes it worse. He is now losing goodwill at a pace that is amazing.” Other Labour backbenchers believe that the moves announced at the joint press conference did little to reverse the impression that the US and Britain are allowing Israel to act with impunity.

David Winnick, MP for Walsall North, said: “Every day that the conflict continues gladdens the heart of al-Qaeda and its fellow travellers and apologists. A large number of people in this country want it made clear that what Israel is doing is unacceptable.”

Alan Simpson, MP for Nottingham South, added: “The press conference just added insult to injury. Blair and Bush are now alone in their own theatre of the absurd. It is like a plan to offer counselling after a hanging — the corpse is not too interested in what they have to offer.”

Sir Menzies Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: “This press conference was profoundly disappointing. It seems as if the Prime Minister is impervious to the views of the majority in this country and of the wider world. Every day of grace afforded to Israel and Hezbollah will result in more casualties and more destruction.”

Mr Blair gave warning that the peace plan needed broader support in the region and not just from just Israel and Lebanon. “This can only work if Hezbollah are prepared to allow it to work. If Hezbollah hold out against it, they will have to face the fact that action would be taken against them.”

The emergence of a diplomatic plan may help Mr Blair to justify his decision not to call for an immediate ceasefire. It also showed he has some leverage over President Bush and that the “special relationship” is not all one way.

What was important was that the peace would last, the Prime Minister said. “Provided this resolution is acted upon, we can bring an end to the crisis.

“I feel deeply for the people in Lebanon and Israel, and I want the conflict to stop now. But we also want the practical plans to be in place so the conditions are there for the violence to stop for good.”

In a sign of differences between Mr Bush and Mr Blair, the President talked more generally of tackling the cause of the problem — which he identified as Hezbollah — while the Prime Minister tried to set out time frames. Neither leader made any direct criticism of the Israelis nor suggested an immediate halt to their tactics.

The US President gave the strongest signals that he believed that Israel was right to use this opportunity to launch a military offensive to crush Hezbollah. “We want to address the root cause of the problem. The root cause is Hezbollah, that is armed and willing to fire missiles into Israel. So for the sake of longterm stability we have got to deal with this issue now.

“What kind of state has a political party that is armed? It’s a state that wants to be helped, that’s what it is.”

Later he showed his determination not to be deflected by international condemnation of US backing for Israeli tactics:

“I am as determined as ever to continue fostering a foreign policy based upon liberty and I think it is going to work, unless we lose our nerve and quit, and this Government is not going to quit.

“Like the Prime Minister I would like an end to this as soon as possible. Having said that, I want to address the root cause of the problem and I believe the plan that Tony and I discussed will yield that.”

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