Tony Blair is expected to announce that about 3,000 of Britain’s 7,000 troops will be withdrawn from Iraq in 10 months time. While this number is hardly enough to offset Bush’s escalation of 21,500 additional troops, Britain’s departure will highlight the fact that Bush is further isolated in his war effort.

Mr Blair is expected to announce that 1,500 servicemen and women will leave within weeks, with 3,000 home by Christmas, according to reports in The Sun. Mr Blair last week announced the success of Operation Sinbad in securing the key southern city of Basra, which he said would pave the way for the handover of security responsibility to homegrown Iraqi forces.

A spokesman for 10 Downing Street would neither deny nor confirm the reports, saying only: “It is right that the Prime Minister should update Parliament first.”

Mr Blair is due to appear before MPs for his regular weekly half-hour grilling at Prime Minister’s Questions, though this would be an unlikely forum for him to make such an announcement.

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