As stated in “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry – Executive Summary”: “188. [On March 3, 2003] Mr Straw told [US] Secretary Powell that the level of support in the UK for military action without a second resolution was palpably ‘very low’. In that circumstance, even if a majority in the Security Council had voted for the resolution with only France exercising its veto, he was ‘increasingly pessimistic’ about support within the Labour Party for military action. The debate in the UK was:
‘… significantly defined by the tone of the debate in Washington and particularly remarks made by the President and others to the right of him, which suggested that the US would go to war whatever and was not bothered about a second resolution one way or another.’ “
– Commissioned by the Prime Minister The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP, “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry: Executive Summary,” IraqInquiry.org.uk, March 3, 2003