North Wiltshire MP James Gray was awarded a prize by the Royal College of Defence Studies for his controversial thesis on going to war.

Mr Gray attended the college for one day a week and put together an argument that the decision to go to war should not be made by parliament.

He argued instead it should be made by the Prime Minister along with statesmen and generals.

Mr Gray said the 12-month course had been very interesting.

"Over the year we have heard from such fascinating speakers as Douglas Hurd, John Major, Richard Powell, HRH the Princess Royal and a host of others concerned with the international situation.

At a time like this it has been a great privilege to be able to call myself a member of the RCDS," he said.

RCDS is the staff college which brigadiers and the equivalent attend before they are promoted to two star rank.

It is based in London's Belgrave Square.

"My thesis discussed the way in which Tony Blair took us to war with Iraq, particularly his decision to allow the House of Commons two substantive votes on the matter," he said.

"It comes to the conclusion that was, to say the least, a very dangerous constitutional precedent.

"It means that the decision to go to war became political and it may have involved the Prime Minister in revealing more secret intelligence to the House of Commons than he really should.

"The paper concludes that war making should be a matter for the Prime Minister, the generals and the diplomats to decide on, albeit obviously taking the House of Commons and people with them in that difficult decision.

"I know this to be a controversial conclusion but if our troops are not to become political playthings then I believe it is the right one," said Mr. Gray.