Tony Blair knighthood ‘discredits honours’
TONY BLAIR’S fiercest critics yesterday reacted with fury to him becoming a knight and joining the country’s highest order of chivalry.
News of the former Labour prime minister’s elevation to the Order of the Garter as a Knight Companion angered opponents of 2003’s invasion of Iraq who consider him a “war criminal”.
Ex-labour and Respect MP George Galloway said: “Arise Sir Tony Blair, the mass-murdering war criminal, liar and mountebank. It literally takes the biscuit.”
Journalist John Pilger said: “The contempt in which Britain’s elite holds the public has never been more eloquently expressed than in the decision to awardtony Blair the highest order of knighthood.”
The honour for Sirtony comes 14 years after the New Labour architect left Downing Street.
Decisions about who joins the ceremonial order, which dates back to 1348, are made without advice from the Prime Minister.
Former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said: “I’ve always seen the problems with the monarchal patronage honours system, but knighting a man who should be answering to war crimes utterly discredits it.”
And Leeanderson,tory MP for Ashfield, said: “Most people will agree there are many more deserving people of this award than Tony Blair.there is a reason why he has waited over 14 years for this award and I suppose some people will say it’s for public service.
“I would say he has done very well financially from his time in politics and that should be enough reward for a man who is now deeply unpopular in places like Ashfield. People will be looking at this and thinking the honours system needs reforming. I agree.”
However, Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the foreign affairs select committee who also served as an Army officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, said: “A knighthood of the Garter is the Queen’s personal gift. All former prime ministers have got it so I’m not sure why it’s surprising.”