BBC film to salute grieving Army dad who took on Blair
LOOK away now, tony Blair. BBC1 has given the green light to Liverpudlian screenwriter Jimmy McGovern’s emotive film about a former ambulance driver who lost his son in the Iraq War.
Cracker creator McGovern has long been interested in the story of reg Keys, who stood against then Prime Minister Blair in his Sedgefield constituency in the 2005 election.
the as yet uncast film has the working title reg — which represents the first name of the main character as well as the shortened Latin word for Queen, Regina.
Keys fought for justice for his son Lance Corporal tom Keys, who was one of six British red Caps killed when a mob descended on a police station in Majar al-Kabir in southern Iraq in June 2003.
‘they were badly equipped,’ says McGovern, who has got to know reg Keys while researching his script.
‘they went to a hellhole with 50 rounds each and no radio — that’s why they were killed.
‘I think [reg] could even accept that, if they weren’t there on a lie. But when it’s both, when they were there on a lie and they are badly equipped and are sent to a hellhole with nothing, it’s tough for anyone to take, I think. He is a fascinating man. I liked that notion of an ordinary man taking on the British Prime Minister. It’s just wonderful it happened that way.
‘A lot of people will point out that that’s the strength of Britain. But I think that’s baloney.
‘It’s the strength of reg Keys. He did it against the odds. He did it in spite of the system, not through the system.’
In January, the House of Lords was told Blair could face war crimes charges as a result of the Iraq War inquiry report, whose release had been delayed until after the General election. the inquiry has already taken six years and cost £9 million.