Blair: War has hurt Labor Party

LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday acknowledged that the war in Iraq may damage his party's prospects in elections later this week.

"I accept that Iraq is a problem for us," said Blair, whose own popularity has slumped since he persuaded Parliament to commit British troops to the U.S.-led war.

"I know it has been a very divisive issue. I know there are some people who passionately disagree with that decision," he told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

On Thursday, Blair's Labor Party faces three important electoral tests when voters choose candidates for the European Parliament, local councils across England and Wales and a London mayor.

Voters traditionally use local and European elections to express grievances against the party in power, and Labor is expected to fare badly.

The fallout from the war has deeply damaged Blair's position.

A poll published in Sunday's News of the World newspaper suggested Blair would still easily win national elections, but with his 161-seat majority in the House of Commons reduced to 107.

The survey by pollster ICM suggested, however, that Labor would win by a greater margin if Treasury chief Gordon Brown, rather than Blair, led the party.

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