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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Sophie Halle-Richards

'Utterly disgraceful' - M.E.N. readers react after Tony Blair receives knighthood amid widespread backlash

Readers of the Manchester Evening News have responded with anger after Tony Blair was awarded a knighthood.

The decision to name the former prime minister in the New Year Honours list has provoked widespread backlash - and has even led to the creation of a petition calling for the award to be rescinded.

Over 400,000 people have signed the change.org petition just two days after the ex-Labour leader was given the "Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter."

READ MORE: Boris Johnson warns NHS will be under 'considerable pressure' for 'weeks'

Some critics branded Blair a "war criminal" for taking Britain into conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, leading to the deaths of more than 600 British military personnel and tens of thousands more civilians.

Others have said the decision is an example of why the honours system should be overhauled.

In a post on Facebook, we asked readers whether Blair should be allowed to become "Sir Tony."

Over 1,000 M.E.N readers replied with their personal opinion on the matter.

Tony Blair (PA)

Jackie Gillespie labelled the decision a "joke" as she called on the former prime minister to decline the knighthood.

"What a joke. Just diminishes every other person who actually deserves and received a knighthood," she wrote on Facebook.

"Perhaps he should do the honourable thing for once and decline it."

Another reader, Stuart Barry said: "Just when you thought that giving knighthoods to Jimmy Savile (sic) and Cyril Smith was as low as the honours system could go."

Gary Wilson wrote: "The only thing the whole country agrees on is that this man should not have been knighted."

Glynis Kite added: "Absolutely not and for the first time in my life I feel disappointed in the Queen's decision to give this honour. But she was probably advised."

Rosemary Lyddon wrote: "Flaming disgrace. Now rewarding war mongers. Defies belief. Please reconsider. This makes a mockery of the Honours System."

Sheila Ratcliffe added: "It is a disgrace towards the people of this country."

Some people said the decision to award Mr Blair a knighthood demonstrated the need to change the honours system, and called for more recognition of every day heroes.

Sue Keane said: "These awards shouldn’t even go to politicians on side, getting a (sic) award for doing their job and a bad job at that.

"Their award is their pay packet and expenses for their extra houses. These awards should be for heroes of the country who do good."

And Gary Chambers wrote: "Well I could go into many reasons why I believe not. My point stop giving these honours to rich and famous and give to the really deserving then they might mean something."

But some readers felt the award was fair, and said they believed Mr Blair deserved to be knighted for his services to the country.

Shelagh Thompson said: "Yes. He was a good leader and politician. He worked with the NHS and improved things no end.

"He created jobs and the country enjoyed a period of at 10 years or more of prosperity.

"The Iraq war was a mistake and he should not have let America bully him. It is a shame Iraq is what he is notorious for."

Phil Tupman wrote: "Brilliant Prime Minister. Leading light and voice of sense during the pandemic and Brexit shambles. Knight him then beg him to return to front-line politics."

Tony Fellowes said: "Of course it was. He was labours (sic) most successful prime minister. Minimum wage. Less poverty. Well funded public service. All down to him."

Blair, who occupied 10 Downing Street from 1997 to 2007, faced sustained criticism over his decision to go to war in Iraq, culminating in the devastating inquiry by Sir John Chilcot.

The 2016 Chilcot Report found that Blair presented the case for war with "a certainty which was not justified" based on "flawed" intelligence about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction.

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