One million sign petition to rescind Tony Blair’s knighthood
One million people have signed a petition to have former prime minister Tony Blair’s knighthood “rescinded”.
The Queen appointed Blair a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. This is the oldest and most senior British Order of Chivalry.
‘Irreparable damage’
The Change.org petition which aims to strip the former prime minister of his appointment reached one million signatures on Friday 7 January.
A statement accompanying the petition said:
Tony Blair caused irreparable damage to both the constitution of the United Kingdom and to the very fabric of the nation’s society.
He was personally responsible for causing the death of countless innocent civilian lives and servicemen in various conflicts. For this alone he should be held accountable for war crimes.
Tony Blair is the least deserving person of any public honour…
We petition the Prime Minister to petition Her Majesty to have this honour removed.
Made Britain better with an illegal war
The knighthood has provoked debate about the honours system. Labour leader Keir Starmer said Boris Johnson has not “earned the right” of a knighthood after leaving office.
But Starmer insisted his predecessor at the top of the Labour Party had earned his knighthood. Starmer argued that Blair had “made Britain a better country”.
Blair’s former defence secretary Geoff Hoon wrote in his recent memoir that Downing Street ordered his office to burn a secret memo saying the 2003 Iraq invasion could be illegal, according to the Daily Mail.
Appointments to the Garter are in the Queen’s gift and made without prime ministerial advice. They’re usually announced on St George’s Day, 23 April. But the Queen can do so at any time, and chose this one to coincide with the New Year Honours.
You can sign the petition here.
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Great news for all of us who campaigned against Blair’s lies that led us into the catastrophe of the Iraq war.
The great pity is that we cannot undo the damage that war-criminal Blair was responsible for.
“Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter”
What an insult to the people of the UK !
What an insult to the British and the Iraqi dead !
It is not the oldest and most senior British order of chivalry. It is the oldest ENGLISH one and predates the Union of the Crowns in 1603.
The equivalent, and EQUAL ranking order for Scotland is The Order of the Thistle.
Personally, I think the honours system for the UK and for the pre-existing kingdoms is and always has been an exercise in power and cronyism. I think there should be a system, whereby people who have contributed to the good of society not as part of their paid work can be recognised. Such a system should issue the same honour to all those deemed worthy, and not have the ludicrous hierarchy that has evolved. Since the current system includes appointments to the legislature, without election, then the honours system is only one manifestation of a corrupt and un democratic system which excludes people from effective engagement in governance. So constitutional and electoral reform are essential.
However, under ‘two flags’ SIR Keir, I do not think that is likely. He is part of the ruling clique.
These gongs are part of a larger money making scheme…..do you Brenda Battenberg didn’t get a rake off from Blair ? We know the Tories sell them for £3 million……….Brenda’s even greedier.