Public rejects US plans for Iraq

American plans for a US-run administration in post-war Iraq have next to no support among the British public.

That was the verdict according to a poll today.

A majority of voters back Tony Blair's belief that an administration formed by the United Nations - not the US - should run Iraq in the interim period before it returns to full self-government.

Persuading US President George Bush to accept a key role for the UN in the post-war administration of Iraq was expected to be top of Mr Blair's agenda at today's summit at Hillsborough Castle, near Belfast.

The YouGov poll for the Daily Telegraph and ITV News found 57% of respondents backed a UN-run administration and 39% one operated jointly by the coalition nations, while just 2% supported an American-led government.

Some 64% said that the UN should be responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of Iraq, compared to 31% who thought the job should go to the US and UK jointly and 3% that it should go to the US alone.

But almost half of those quizzed (48%) said that British troops should stay in Iraq to support a US-led administration if it was established.

Some 55% said it would be "totally outrageous" for reconstruction contracts to be given to US companies without other nations' firms being allowed to bid, and not a single respondent said that the Americans were entitled to all the contracts on the grounds that US servicemen have done most of the fighting.

More than half (58%) said contracts should be open to all coalition nations who provided troops for the war, and 35% that firms from all countries should be allowed to bid.

With the tide of war seemingly turning emphatically in the Allies' favour, some 60% now say that Britain and America were right to take military action in Iraq - up five points on last week and the highest figure recorded in a series of YouGov polls. Some 35% still believe the war to be wrong.

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