CONTROVERSIAL MP Geraldine Smith has won the backing of her local constituency party - despite her damning views on the Prime Minister.

Members of the executive of Morecambe and Lunesdale Constituency Labour Party say they will support her as their candidate at the next General Election.

There were calls for Ms Smith's head after she publicly attacked Tony Blair - demanding that he should resign over the Butler report into information used to launch the war on Iraq.

"The time has come when his friends must advise him to go with honour and dignity," said Ms Smith.

"He deliberately hyped the war in Iraq up and constantly articulated the apocalyptic conse-quences of terrorists obtaining weapons of mass destruction.

"I feel that I was deceived into voting for a war I was morally opposed to," she said.

After a meeting of the executive committee, constituency secretary Elaine Bash says: "These are her personal views and do not necessarily reflect those of the constituency Labour party. The party endorses Ms Smith's reselection to stand as their candidate and will be giving her its full support."

Ms Smith told the Citizen this week: "I am delighted to get the backing of my colleagues."