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Blair: “I’ve given up trying to convince people that war in Iraq was right” – Media and blog round up: February 27th 2013

February 27, 2013 10:14 am

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Labour to back Trident replacement?

“Labour will fight the next general election on a pledge to retain Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent, senior party sources have said. Although some advisers to Ed Miliband want him to opt for a scaled-down, cheaper alternative to the current Trident system, there are growing signs that Labour will join the Conservatives in backing a £25billion “like-for-like” replacement…Officially, Labour is keeping its options open until Mr Alexander’s review is published. A senior Labour source said: “Our final decision will be based on ensuring we have a credible deterrent, achieved in the most cost effective way and moving towards multilateral disarmament to reduce warheads and stockpiles. We are genuinely open-minded about how we achieve that.”" – Independent
Blair: “I’ve given up trying to convince people that war in Iraq was right”
“Tony Blair said last night that he had given up trying to justify the invasion of Iraq. Speaking ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the former Prime Minister admitted that people were sometimes abusive towards him about the war but that he still managed to walk down the street.” – The Times(£)
“Asked whether he minded if ‘people call you a liar, some people call you a war criminal, protesters follow you; it’s difficult to walk down the street in a country’, he replied: ‘It really doesn’t matter whether it’s taken its toll on me. The fact is yes there are people who will be very abusive, by the way I do walk down the street and by the way I won an election in 2005 after Iraq. However, yes it remains extremely divisive and very difficult.’ He asked his critics to consider how the world would look if Saddam Hussein was still in power, adding: ‘In the end sometimes you come to a decision where whichever choice you take the consequences are difficult and the choice is ugly. This was one such case.’” – Daily Mail

Other highlights

Related posts:

  1. Douglas Alexander says Iraq did more harm than good – Media and blog round up: February 15th 2013
  2. Clegg and Cable in talks with Miliband – Media and blog round up: February 11th 2013
  3. Tories to extend “unlawful” workfare schemes – Media and blog round up: February 11th 2013
  4. A “Dirty tricks” campaign against Labour staff? – Media and blog round up: February 6th 2013
  5. Mandelson vs Prescott? (again) – Media and blog round up: February 7th 2013
  • AlanGiles

    ““Tony Blair said last night that he had given up trying to justify the invasion of Iraq. Speaking ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the former Prime Minister admitted that people were sometimes abusive towards him about the war but that he still managed to walk down the street.”

    Yes – surrounded by minders and bodyguards. Such a brave little chap.

  • Daniel Speight

    I’ve given up waiting to see any sign of guilt in either Blair or Campbell. How high does the body count have to be? How many young men need to come back with missing limbs? Just how greedy can one man be?

    • AlanGiles

      I agree Daniel. I think it is the air of self-pitying martyrdom Blair displays when he mentions “abuse” and such that makes him even more offensive.

    • AlanGiles

      I agree Daniel. I think it is the air of self-pitying martyrdom Blair displays when he mentions “abuse” and such that makes him even more offensive.

    • AlanGiles

      I don’t think Blair will ever learn. He turned up on News Briefing (Radio 4) at 0530 this morning (28/2/13) agitating for “intervention” in Syria. Loss of our soldiers lives and vast, unlimited expenditure seems to mean nothing for him. If he is so fond of militarism, why didn’t he become a soldier himself, rather than pick the soft life of a barrister and politician, or at least persuade his own sons so to do?. I am sure daddy could have got young Euan into Sandhurst.

      It is not just what he says, it is the tone of voice, as camp as pink knickers. Perhaps he thinks he sounds Churchillian?. If so, it’s more Sarah Churchill than Winston

  • Dave Postles

    The Three Amigos: Blair, Bush and Berlosconi

  • Andrew McKay

    I’m glad Blair has given up on Iraq – I just wish Christopher Hitchens dropped his support for it in his Newsnight interview.

    100,000 Iraqi’s and 200 British troops dead for nothing.

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