Ed Miliband was facing a backbench revolt last night over Labour’s failure to support a judge-led inquiry into British complicity in torture.

The party’s high command still insists a Westminster committee should investigate even though it presided over an alleged whitewash in the extraordinary rendition affair.

A string of Mr Miliband’s MPs yesterday declared that disturbing questions raised by a US Senate report on the barbaric treatment of detainees by the CIA should be answered once and for all. Paul Flynn, David Winnick and Yasmin Qureshi all said only a judge-led process would do.

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Ed Miliband was facing a backbench revolt last night over Labour’s failure to support a judge-led inquiry into British complicity in torture

It leaves Labour’s leader in the unusual position of backing an investigation he himself admits may be inadequate.

His brother David could even be called to give evidence to any inquiry. As foreign secretary from 2007 to 2010, he is accused of trying to cover up Britain’s involvement in CIA wrongdoing.

Other Labour figures facing questions include Jack Straw and Tony Blair, who broke cover yesterday to say he had never condoned torture. On another day of drama at Westminster:

Home Secretary Theresa May admitted the Government had been given the chance to vet the Senate report;

Nick Clegg joined calls for Guantanamo Bay detainee Shaker Aamer to be returned to Britain;

More celebrities and politicians signed a letter to David Cameron demanding the father of four’s release.

A string of Mr Miliband’s MPs declared only a probe by a judge could clear up the disturbing questions raised by a US Senate report on the barbaric treatment of detainees by the CIA. Both Paul Flynn (left) and David Winnick (right) said past mistakes should not be covered up

Yvette Cooper said on Sunday that she doubted Parliament’s intelligence and security committee had the capacity and the scope to carry out an inquiry and her ‘instinct’ was for a judge-led process.

However, the shadow home secretary then stopped short of backing the full judicial investigation sought by MPs on all sides.

Last night a source close to Mr Miliband said: ‘Ed agrees with the position set out by Yvette. The Government has outlined that the intelligence committee will be doing it, we have some concerns on it but we need to see the way the Government sets that out.

As foreign secretary from 2007 to 2010, David Miliband is accused of trying to cover up Britain’s involvement in CIA wrongdoing

‘We are not at this stage calling for anything to go further than that.’

Yesterday Mrs May said that, since her appointment in 2010, she had seen no evidence of the security services being complicit in ill treatment. But, turning the spotlight on the New Labour years, she added: ‘I cannot speak for what might have happened in the past before this Government came into office.’

Mr Clegg also spoke out, saying senior figures in the last Labour government should give evidence on what they knew. The Deputy Prime Minister added: ‘If people are found to have broken the law, the full weight of the law should come down on them without fear or favour, however operationally grand they are.’

When Mrs May appeared before the home affairs committee, Labour MPs took the opportunity to call for a judge-led investigation.

Mr Flynn said it was time for Britain – which is still to publish the Chilcot report into the Iraq War – to ‘get away from this policy of trying to cover up past mistakes’.

He added: ‘The (Senate torture) report degrades our reputation as allies of the United States.’ Other Labour MPs demanding a judicial inquiry included Mr Winnick and Miss Qureshi. Mr Winnick said an investigation by a judge was needed to ‘clear this whole matter up once and for all’. Keith Vaz, the committee’s chairman, stopped short of calling for a judge-led inquiry, but said it looks like being the next stage. The Labour MP added: ‘The status quo is not going to be enough.’

Mrs May came under pressure to explain the extent to which Britain had lobbied to have the Senate intelligence committee report – which detailed CIA beatings, waterboarding and the rectal feeding of detainees – redacted.

It had been stripped of any mention of MI5, MI6 or Diego Garcia – the British base which David Miliband belatedly admitted had been used for at least two rendition flights.

As the Mail revealed last week, there were 22 meetings between the Senate committee and British ambassadors. Mrs May also personally met its chairman Dianne Feinstein, though not on the date originally given by the Foreign Office. The Home Secretary said she had not personally asked for any of the report to be redacted, and the pair had discussed ‘other things’.

A number of celebrities and politicians have signed a letter to David Cameron demanding Shaker Aamer’s release from Guantanamo Bay. The father of four is pictured here with two of his children

Other Labour figures facing questions are Jack Straw (left) and Tony Blair (right), who broke cover yesterday to say he had never condoned torture

But she conceded: ‘The UK had an opportunity to ensure there was no evidence put in which would damage our national security.’

Despite the growing clamour on all sides for a judicial inquiry, Mrs May said she also believed the intelligence and security committee should be allowed to complete the task.

MPs have voiced concerns that the committee – which cleared MI5 and MI6 of involvement in extraordinary rendition in 2007 – does not have sufficient powers.

ISC chairman Sir Malcolm Rifkind has said he will ask the US Senate to reveal which parts of its damning report the British Government asked to be redacted from the published version.

However, other members of the UK committee have questioned why he does not simply request the information from British authorities rather than go down the time-consuming road of negotiating with the US.

Mr Blair’s office issued a statement saying: ‘Tony Blair has always been opposed to the use of torture, has always said so publicly and privately, has never condoned its use and – as is shown by internal government documentation already made public – thinks it is totally unacceptable.’

The statement did not address any of the specific allegations that – during the war on terror – British agents were complicit in extraordinary rendition or had turned a blind eye to abuse of detainees.

David Miliband and Mr Straw were unavailable for comment last night.