Over 600,00 sign petition to rescind Tony Blair’s knighthood

UK: By tradition, former British Prime Ministers are honoured by Queen Elizabeth some years after leaving No. 10 Downing St, so the elevation of Tony Blair to a knighthood on New Year’s Day could have been a routine event.

Instead, more than 600,000 people have signed an online petition asking that the honour be rescinded, illustrating how one of Britain’s most successful politicians remains a divisive figure, never forgiven by his critics for taking the country to war in Iraq.

The petition, which has no legal force, said Blair, 68, was “personally responsible” for causing the deaths of countless civilians and service members in various conflicts, adding that “he should be held accountable for war crimes”.

That sentiment reflects the extent to which the legacy of the opposition Labour Party’s most electorally successful recent leader has been defined by his staunch support for the United States and President George W. Bush in a war in Iraq that became steadily more unpopular in Britain.

The petition comes after Sir Tony became a member of the Order of the Garter, following an appointment made on New Year’s Eve by the queen. Dating back almost 700 years, the order is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain.

“It’s a fool’s errand,” said Dr Steven Fielding, professor of political history at Nottingham University. “His reputation for the moment is locked into the Iraq War. He spent the last year of his premiership trying to establish his legacy, and it was all pointless because his legacy, like it or not, was Iraq, and is Iraq, and will remain Iraq.”

Sir Tony led his Labour Party to a landslide election victory in 1997, was Prime Minister for a decade and won two more general elections along the way. He pulled Labour towards the political centre, helped negotiate a peace agreement in Northern Ireland and presided over a generally healthy economy spending buoyant tax revenues on health and education.

He is disliked by those on both wings of the political spectrum: Those on the left accused him of betraying his party’s values by shifting Labour to the centre, while those on the right resented his formidable electoral appeal. – Bangkok Post