Major Squeaks By in Arms-Sale Vote

LONDON —  Facing down a fierce opposition attack and defectors from his own party, British Prime Minister John Major put his government on the line Monday in an incendiary parliamentary vote over illegal arms sales to Iraq--and won by a hair.

Major’s Conservatives won 320-319 in a vote that undercuts the impact of a report faulting government officials for their handling of the weapons sales in the years before the Persian Gulf War.

The Conservatives limped to victory despite two defections, the opposition of nine members of Parliament from Northern Ireland who normally vote with the government and the combined weight of the Labor and Liberal Democratic parties.

Major’s victory, which spared him from having to call a vote of confidence, can only reinforce his determination to remain in office for a full term and call elections in 1997, rather than this year as his opponents demand.

In angry debate in the House of Commons, the two sides drew opposite conclusions from the same report. Major’s opponents saw a callous decision to trade with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in defiance of stated government policy, and a cover-up to keep the decision secret. The government’s supporters saw flexible decision-making on the part of ministers working in the national interest.

“In any country which has seen real corruptions, they’d be astonished we’re making such a meal of this,” said Francis Maude, a former Conservative Treasury minister.

“I don’t think this is finished. We’ll be going home convinced that the government is on the defensive,” said Donald Dewar, a senior Labor Party leader.

At issue was a report by Magistrate Richard Scott, who was asked by Major to investigate the sale of British weapons to the Hussein regime despite an announced government ban against arming Iraq.

Scott was sharply critical of two senior government officials, William Waldegrave, the No. 2 official at the Treasury, and Nicholas Lyell, the attorney general, for misleading Parliament, the public and the courts on sales that proceeded despite repeated assurances that government restrictions against them had not been lifted.

Scott found that the government was unwilling to acknowledge its changed policy because of “a fear of strong public opposition to the loosening of restrictions” on sales to Hussein.

The Independent newspaper said Monday that a detailed examination of the Scott conclusions shows at least 100 specific criticisms of the actions of ministers and senior officials. Their behavior stains not only the reputation of the Major government “but the whole system of government in this country,” the newspaper said.

Major rejects calls for ministerial resignations, insisting that there was no conspiracy or intent to deceive.

“The central charges have not been proven by the Scott report,” Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine told the House of Commons on Monday.

One centrist commentator said the report had “exposed a secretive government, riddled with incompetence, slippery with the truth and willing to mislead Parliament.”

The opposition Labor Party, relishing the political damage the report has done to the Conservatives, accused Major of arrogance and weakness in not acknowledging blame.

Trade Minister Ian Lang, in a speech to Parliament, announced a series of administrative reforms in problem areas such as export controls and licensing procedures for arms sales.

“Mistakes were made. There are lessons to be learned,” Lang said, promising improved distribution of intelligence reports.

But Lang echoed the party line in refusing to acknowledge that ministers had connived in the sales to Iraq or had tried to cover up evidence that may have led to three businessmen being wrongfully jailed.