A leading official in Iraq's largest Shia Muslim party has called on the British government to avoid the “traditional Sunni Arab” way of running Iraq, which he said had led to the denial of rights to Kurds and Shia under Saddam Hussein.

Mohsen al-Hakim, 32, son and political adviser of Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution (Sciri), spoke after recent clashes between British forces and Shia Muslims in Basra.