George Foulkes made "silent majority" claim

Rebel minister Clare Short has threatened to resign if Britain goes to war against Iraq without United Nations (UN) backing.

Ms Short, the International Development Secretary, also suggested Tony Blair's hardline position over Saddam Hussein was "reckless."

But George Foulkes, MP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, has been insisting that there is a "silent majority" around the country that are comfortable with how the government's handling of the situation is going.

Some of the protests that are taking place do not represent the views of the silent majority George Foulkes MP

Mr Foulkes also dismissed the relevance of the scale of protests taking place around the country.

"I think there's a silent majority outside, and I spoke to them in my constituency over the weekend, who think the media are constantly criticising the government, undermining the position of the government," he told BBC News.

"Some of the protests that are taking place do not represent the views of the silent majority.

"The silent majority want rid of a brutal dictator.

"They want the authority of the United Nations upheld, they want a second resolution but they don't want people in the media and in politics undermining the efforts of the prime minister and (Foreign Secretary) Jack Straw in getting that second resolution"

HOW THE UN MIGHT VOTE Country-by-country voting intentions

Mr Foulkes refused to discuss the prospect of a veto by any of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, including Russia's threat to veto any second resolution.

He accused the media of undermining the position of the government by asking theoretical questions and insisted that too much has been heard of the protests.

The defence of Mr Blair came as the Labour MP for Dumfries Russell Brown warned he would quit his private secretary's post if Britain goes to war with Iraq without United Nations backing.

Mr Brown is the parliamentary aide to the leader of the House of Lords.

He said he could not support the involvement of UK troops without a second UN resolution.

Several Scottish Labour MPs have already registered their unease by backing a rebel backbench amendment in February that the case for war with Iraq was "unproven".

Second resolution

Aberdeen South MP Anne Begg, who voted for the amendment, claims pressure on Mr Blair is strengthening his hand in securing a second resolution.

"The judgement I made two weeks ago was my decision and that was whether I thought voting for the amendment would strengthen or weaken the prospect of a second resolution," she said.

"It gives Tony Blair the ability to go to George Bush and say he needs to have UN backing to take action, it strengthens his hand.

"Clare Short has insisted on a second resolution, she had to judge what she said, we had to judge what we did, whether it makes a resolution more or less likely."

Collective responsibility

Meanwhile the Scottish National Party has accused Mr Blair of changing the arguments for war and the circumstances in which he is prepared to commit UK forces to military action.

Westminster party leader Alex Salmond MP said: "It is impossible for cabinet collective responsibility to hold in such a situation, with Blair's policy moving like shifting sands.

"The reasons keep changing and the conditions keep changing - but maybe it is the prime minister who should be changed."

The draft resolution proposed by the US and UK gives Iraq a 17 March deadline to disarm.