Honour those Blair sent to die

TO say I was astonished at Tony Blair’s knighthood would be putting it mildly. In 2003 I supported deploying troops to Iraq, but time proved not all the information we were given was correct.

The Iraq Inquiry which cost more than £10m took seven years to conclude that Saddam Hussein did not pose a significant threat.

We lost 179 service men and women in the Iraq War. One of those soldiers was our son, 23-yearold Lance Corporal Ben Hyde of the Royal Military Police. Surely, it would be far more fitting to honour our service men and women who died for Queen and country in Iraq, than to honour the man who sent them there.

John A Hyde Northallerton, North Yorks

I doubt most of the electorate would agree with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle who said all former prime ministers should be knighted (Mirror, Jan 3). Surely, this is proved by the petition against Tony Blair’s knighthood with the highest ranking? I feel the whole honours system has been diluted over recent years with awards going to millionaire sports stars, actors, pop stars and politicians for a job they love and are well rewarded for. If anyone deserves honours it’s ordinary people who give their time to raise awareness for good causes, or who care for others or have defended their country.

Chris Smith, Northampton

Surely it is well past the time to consign the archaic farce of the New Year’s Honours

List to the dustbin of history. Rewarding people for just singing, acting, and sporting activities – and even worse, controversial politicians such as Tony Blair – isn’t appropriate in this day and age.

This is the man who initiated the sell-off of the NHS while the illadvised war in lraq to appease US President George Bush resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

G Hadley, Tilbury, Essex

Why the outcry over Tony Blair’s knighthood? Iraq aside, Blair was a good PM. In fact, his achievements are not acknowledged enough because of the shadow of Iraq.

He certainly left Britain in a better state than he found it after 18 years of Tory rule. Anyone calling for his knighthood to be rescinded is playing right into the Tories’ hands.

John Bennett, Solihull, West Mids

I don’t agree with the Honours system at all which pushes normal people further back in any queue

in life. Tony Blair sent soldiers to their deaths under dubious circumstances.

Should so he receive the highest accolade for that?

Guy Middlewood, York

Tony Blair should have not have been granted a knighthood. It’s a betrayal of all the service personnel who died in Iraq, sent there by Blair on a false premise to enhance his profile on the world stage. The Government should take his knighthood away and preserve our country’s dignity.

Ken Pennington Stalybridge, Tameside

I see many well-deserving people being honoured but what I don’t see is front line NHS staff being rewarded for the work they have done in thee pandemic.

You can’t give MBEs and the like to each member of staff, so why can’t the NHS itself be awarded the George Cross as Malta was for its sacrifice in the Second World War? Mick Rutland, Stockton-on-Tees