AN MP last night announced he was quitting his Government defence post over the Lebanon crisis.

Jim Sheridan, Labour MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said he was standing down as the parliamentary private secretary to the defence ministers.

The resignation came as several former Labour ministers among about 150 MPs demanded a recall of Parliament to debate the crisis.

Mr Sheridan told Sky News: "The reason I am resigning is the current conflict in the Middle East - and once again the Palestinian situation has been put on the back burner.

"I don't expect my resignation will have any significant impact on the Prime Minister's objectives in the Middle East, which I genuinely believe to be honourable on his part, but I don't believe they reflect the core values of the Labour Party or indeed the country."

He added that the UK was "guilty by association" and he could no longer support the Government's close relationship with the US, which he said showed little, if any, evidence of being serious about an early end to the conflict.

He would "definitely" support a recall of Parliament to debate the crisis, he said, adding he thought there was a significant number of his party colleagues who regarded Labour's Middle East policy as flawed.

He said: "There are loyal members of the party, and indeed the Government, like myself, who genuinely believe we cannot dictate Middle East policy by using excessive force.

"I think we are now in danger of embarking on an extremely dangerous strategy and we have to stop the bombing and killing of people on both sides of this conflict."

Meanwhile, campaign organisers - who sent a letter to Commons leader Jack Straw demanding a recall of Parliament to debate the Lebanon crisis - said more politicians from all parties were backing the campaign as pressure mounted for the summer break to be interrupted.

The signatures of Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell and former Cabinet minister Clare Short were among those being sent to the ex-Foreign Secretary.

The letter - delivered yesterday - said it was "absolutely vital" that massive concern in the public over Israel's military action, and Britain's role in it, be fully discussed.

It said the failure to call for an immediate ceasefire "has cost many innocent lives and may continue to do so" and pointed to opinion polls that suggested most Britons opposed the action.

The use of UK airports by US arms flights to Israel "has given the impression that the UK has assumed a tacitly active and less than impartial role in the conflict", it continued.

And even Prime Minister Tony Blair had conceded his stance faced much opposition.