IN this election, one issue dwarfs, or ought to dwarf, all others and that is the proposed militarisation of space by President Bush.

If a Blair government endorses the Bush Son of Star Wars the chance of halting the Americans in their tracks will be zero.

They will be able to claim at least one friend in support. If Blair denies endorsement to the Americans then there is at least a chance that even Bush could have second thoughts.

I say Bush because there are many, many, senior Americans, including Admiral Eugene Carroll, Vice President of Defence Information in Washington - the most senior naval officer to serve as the director of the United States military operations for Europe and the Middle East - are in opposition to Star Wars.

In this election, "wait and see" simply won't do. On this supreme, important issue the electors of the Linlithgow constituency and the constituency Labour Party must have no misunderstanding of my position.

If re-elected by both voice and vote I shall seek to persuade Tony Blair to persuade President Bush to think again.

America now favours a form of warfare by which missiles hurtle down on another country with little fear of reprisal.

I've been to Belgrade, and seen the bombing and I've been to Iraq where the bombing entrenched Saddam Hussein. Now the Bush entourage proposes to replace missiles with a terrifyingly destructive beam.

Nothing is more urgent and important than this. The British Labour movement must make its opposition unambiguous. I am heartened that many in the Scottish Labour Party not normally associated with the Left or the awkward squad share this view.

Tam Dalyell is Labour MP for Linlithgow.