'Coalition' will continue

Britain's "coalition" with Spain will survive Sunday night's change of government, Cabinet Minister Peter Hain insisted.

Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar was a key ally of Tony Blair and US president George Bush in the Iraq conflict.

But defeat of his Popular Party by socialists who opposed the invasion will not hit Anglo-Spanish co-operation, Mr Hain said.

Commons leader Mr Hain congratulated victor Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose fortunes appear to have been transformed by the Madrid rail bombings.

"The Prime Minister Tony Blair will want to work with him as the leader of Spain just as closely as he has with Jose Maria Aznar," he told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour.

"Indeed the coalition, the unity, between Spain and Britain has been one of the driving forces for economic reform, political reform in Europe and I am sure that will continue."

Mr Blair would speak to Mr Zapatero tomorrow to congratulate him, Downing Street said.

The surprise election result came as it was revealed that one of the Moroccans arrested over the rail bombings, which killed 200, had ties to al Qaida.

Commentators said Mr Aznar's party appeared to have suffered for playing down possible al Qaida involvement in the attacks which they insisted were the work of Basque separatists ETA.

Mr Hain said the new Spanish government's opposition to the Iraq conflict should not be barrier to co-operation.

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