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Sir Tony Blair’s critics have called for the former Prime Minister to forfeit his knighthood, claiming that declassified documents show he was “determined to take military action in Iraq”.<\/p>\n
MPs have heard the ex-PM’s January 2022 knighthood – which he received for his services as PM from 1997 to 2007 – is \u201can insult to every single life lost\u201d in the war he backed in 2003.<\/p>\n
Speaking in a debate at the House of Commons today, Neale Hanvey, the Scottish Alba MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, claimed documents declassified in 1998 show he was determined to send British troops to the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Mr Hanvey highlighted passages in the documents in which it was suggested by lawyers that the move would break international laws.<\/p>\n
He claimed the then PM “prosecuted two wars against lawful advice and instruction”, and that his knighthood “should be withdrawn forthwith”.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: <\/strong> Adele says former PM Sir Tony Blair and Iraq war influenced one of her hits<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Mr Hanvey highlighted passages from a 900-page document regarding the decision-making in the lead-up to Operation Desert Fox – the four-day joint bombing campaign by the US and UK in 1998.<\/p>\n He said the documents included entries showing that Foreign Office officials had advised him the only justification for deploying British servicemen to Iraq was that the UN Security Council had authorised the move.<\/p>\n Mr Hanvey added that the documents later revealed then Solicitor General for England and Wales, Lord Falconer, had warned lawyers had “argued very strongly that it would be the first time since 1956 that the UK had used force without the backing of the Security Council resolution\u201d.<\/p>\n Lord Falconer had allegedly added some lawyers may resign, fearing they would be told to implement decisions \u201cthey believed were incompatible with international law\u201d.<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> Discussing the documents, Declassified UK concluded there was “a de facto acknowledgement that the threshold demanded by Britain\u2019s legal advisers\u2014new Security Council authorisation\u2014had not been met\u201d.<\/p>\n Mr Hanvey said the documents show he “was determined to take military action against Saddam Hussein in 1998 against explicit advice and in the absence of sound legal arguments or justification”.<\/p>\n And he added they make it clear that Sir Tony “misled Parliament” when he told the House of Commons the UK would take military action on December 17, 1998.<\/p>\n Speaking at the time, he said: \u201cI have no doubt that we have the proper legal authority, as it is contained in successive Security Council resolution documents.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Hanvey dubbed the former PM’s knighthood “an insult to every single life lost” and called for it to be “withdrawn forthwith and a path to full justice secured”.<\/p>\n
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