Peace campaigners reiterated demands for US and British leaders to face justice for their war crimes on Tuesday after former deputy leader of the Labour Party John Prescott admitted that the Iraq war would be a “mark against” the record of new Labour.

Mr Prescott, who was also deputy prime minister, shamelessly reconfirmed his support for the 2003 invasion, although he refused to disclose what his advice to Tony Blair during the run-up had been. “I didn’t disagree with it going as it was,”

Mr Prescott told BBC radio, adding that Iraq was one of the “things that come in government that you wish don’t happen, but do.”

British-based Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation spokesman Sabah Jawad called for Mr Prescott, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and the rest of the warmongering Cabinet on both sides of the Atlantic to stand trial for war crimes.

The Iraqi-born campaigner expressed fury that, “even after killing one million innocent people, destroying the fabric of society and installing a corrupt and sectarian puppet government, still they have no regrets.”

“All they offer is a shy acknowledgement that it might reflect bad on new Labour. What Iraqi people want is for them to face justice in the international court of law for their war crimes.

“We want the occupation forces to leave our country immediately,” Mr Jawad demanded, adding that Britain and the US should also pay compensation towards the reconstruction of Iraq.

A spokesman for the Stop the War Coalition said: “To say that Iraq is a ‘mark against’ the government is a wild understatement. Labour lost the trust of the people when it took us to war on a series of lies. “Many political and public figures try to indicate now that they were against the war at the time. It’s a shame that they did not have the courage of their convictions to speak out publicly.”

He added that, rather than vague acknowledgements by former ministers, “we need an open admission that the war was a terrible mistake and for all troops to be withdrawn immediately.”