The Report of the Iraq Inquiry into the decisions made to enter the conflict were published in 2016 by Sir John Chilcot, who stated: "We have concluded that the UK chose to join the invasion of Iraq before the peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted. The overthrow of President Hussein also paved the way for the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq, with their self-proclaimed Caliphate stretching across swathes of Syria too. For his record of public service I think he deserves his Knighthood and he is a worthy recipient along with other former Prime Ministers."īritain entered the bloody eight-year conflict in Iraq alongside US President George W Bush's administration on the basis that Iraqi President of the time, Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction that posed a threat to Western nations.ĭuring the Iraqi conflict, thousands of people were killed and there is still no stable government in place. "While I profoundly disagree with some of his policies I believe his decisions were taken in good faith. The first to respond was Southampton MP Royston Smith who said: "Tony Blair was the most successful Labour Prime Minister in history. HampshireLive contacted all Hampshire MPs asking the question 'should Blair's Knighthood be rescinded?' We petition the Prime Minister to petition Her Majesty to have this honour removed." "Tony Blair is the least deserving person of any public honour, particularly anything awarded by Her Majesty the Queen. For this alone he should be held accountable for war crimes. The man behind the petition, Angus Scott, said of Blair: "He was personally responsible for causing the death of countless innocent, civilian lives and servicemen in various conflicts. Mr Blair is accused of leading the UK into what the Chilcot Inquiry deemed an "unnecessary" war in Iraq which, combined with the controversial war in Afghanistan he also led the UK into, cost the lives of hundreds of British service personnel. An Honours Committee then decides who should receive one from the nominations received. Anyone in the UK can nominate someone for an honour. These appointments are offered in the Queen's gift, without advice from the Government. Tony Blair, longest-serving Labour PM, was named in the Queen's New Year's Honours list as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior British Order of Chivalry. The petition currently sits at 396,673 signatures at the time of publication. However, this opinion isn't shared by Angus Scott, who started a petition, accusing Blair of causing "irreparable damage to both the constitution of the United Kingdom and to the very fabric of the nation's society". READ MORE: Petition calling for Tony Blair to lose knighthood gains hundreds of thousands of signatures He believes Blair is a "worthy recipient" along with other former Prime Ministers. A Hampshire MP has defended the decision to award former Prime Minister Tony Blair a Knighthood despite fierce backlash in the form of a petition nearing 400,000 signatures.Ĭonservative Royston Smith, MP for Southampton Itchen, described Blair as the "most successful Labour Prime Minister in history".