The student heckler who last night caught Tony Blair off-guard during a speech on domestic policy said today he had spoken for the country against a war with Iraq.

Iain Wilson, 22, from Worthing, a student at the London School of Economics, said many people had congratulated him on his outburst.

He said: "If we are meant to be a democracy, he should let the country have some sort of say in the matter.

"There are millions of people who would like to tell Tony Blair the same thing. I just wanted to get the message across that this country is opposed to a war in Iraq."

Iain, whose parents live in Twyford Gardens, said he was eventually dragged from the meeting by Labour officials. He said: "He had surrounded himself with people specially selected."

The student borrowed a friend's Labour Party card to get in and said: "When you are there, you have got to tell him what the rest of the country wants to."

Mr Blair was 20 minutes into his address on public sector reform at the South Camden Community School when Iain told him he was "missing the point" over a possible war.

The Prime Minister replied: "This is a democracy and you are entitled to make your speech but I am making my speech now."

Today, Iain insisted there were alternatives to pre-emptive strikes on Iraq which would "create chaos throughout the Middle East."