The man behind a petition to strip Sir Tony Blair of his knighthood said the former PM had ‘united the nation’ after more than 600,000 people protested the honour.
55 year old Angus Scott stated that he was ‘astonished” by the response to the petition he started online to prevent the ex-Labour leader from becoming an Order of the Garter.
And the voice artist and presenter believes that if Sir Tony’s knighthood were put to a referendum tomorrow the vote would go much the same way as the public’s reaction.
According to him, ‘I’m shocked by the response’. “Even though I knew there was deep-seated resentment against Tony Blair throughout this country, I didn’t expect to receive more than a few thousand signatures, even from people feeling the same.
“Ironically, the man has finally united the country on one subject. It is that many people feel passionately mad about him.
Now, there are 650,000 petition signatories. This includes veterans of the UK, families of the fallen, and politicians upset by his involvement in the Iraq War.
After more than 600,000. people had protested, the petitioner to remove Sir Tony Blair from his knighthood stated that the former Prime Minister had “united our nation”.
55-year-old Angus Scott said he was astonished by the responses to the online petition he created to stop the ex-Labour leader being promoted to the Order of the Garter
There are now 650,000 petition signatories to the petition. This includes veterans of military service, families of those who have lost their loved ones, and politicians mad at him for his part in the Iraq War.
Sir Tony was inducted into the New Year Honors list. Experts say the 14 year delay between when he left office and receiving the distinction shows that the monarch knew how serious the backlash would be.
He was not a knight or damehood, but he was awarded a Knight Companion of the Garter. This is the highest civilian honour, other than the George Cross. The Order of the Garter was established by Edward III in 1348.
Mr Scott started his shortly after news of the award was published, stating that the ex-PM ‘is the least deserving of any public honour’, especially one only in the gift of The Queen.
Scott explained in his petition that Tony Blair had caused irreparable harm to both Britain’s constitution and the fabric of society.
“He was responsible for the deaths of many civilians, and the service in conflict zones.” He should be tried for war crimes.
“When he was Prime Minister, he conned a lot people into voting for him, but we now have 14 years to look back and see that everything he did has been fundamentally flawed, and ultimately disastrous for the country,” Mr Scott said.
Tony Blair was then the Prime Minister and talks to Major General Richard Shirreff CBE as he visited British troops in Basra (southern Iraq) in 2006.
On February 15, 2003, anti-war demonstrators were seen gathered in Hyde Park as part of a protest against the war in Iraq.
“As the years have passed, people are becoming more aware that this man’s policies and practices can be toxic. That’s why many have signed the petition.”
Mr Scott says that he is ‘just an ordinary citizen’ and has been highly critical of the former Labour leader’s record on the Iraq war.
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is asked to petition Her Majesty for this honor to be removed.
Only petitions that are launched via the Parliament website will trigger debate in the Commons. The official platform, however, has rejected similar attempts to launch petitions.
Downing Street had to insist that Johnson did not have any input in the decision to raise the ex-PM to the Order of the Garter.
Sir Keir Starmer (current Labour leader) is a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and dismissed critics of Sir Tony Blair’s knighthood, saying that he was due it because Sir Tony was a “very successful prime minister”.
Following a Birmingham speech, he made it clear that Johnson did not “earned the right” to be knighted once he left office.
He said: ‘No, I am sorry, I don’t think that this Prime Minister has earned the right to have an honour. Tony Blair, I believe has.
Sir Keir Starmer dismissed critics of Sir Tony Blair’s knighthood and insisted that the ex-prime minister is deserving of the honor
Graham Stringer (Labour MP) voted against Iraq War 2003 and said that he agrees with Lindsay Hoyle about former PMs being honored for their service.
MailOnline was told by he that if you were convicted, you would probably be rewarded for being PM.
‘I voted for the iraq war. Blair was a decent PM during his first six years. But the Iraq War ended that. He was still PM after 10 years, and I believe the Queen should give him the Garter.
MailOnline was told by Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former foreign secretary, that he understood the controversy and that the 14-year wait for the honor’speaks for it’.
Sir Malcolm Said, “In all other respects, he’s been the most successful Labour PM ever since Clement Attlee. He’s also responsible for many major achievements that even I as a Conservative acknowledge.”
Others, however, have expressed outrage at this move.
One of the twin brothers of the soldier killed in Iraq declared that his “blood ran cold” upon hearing this news.
David Wilson was 27-years old and was from Spennymoor in County Durham. He died after sustaining a gunshot injury at Basra Airbase, where he had served as a Lance Corporal with the 9 Regiment Army Air Corps.
Mike Wilson (now 40), said that his twin was “disgusted” by the award of a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter to the former premier. He added it was an insult to David’s memory.
SNP MP Angus MacNeil told MailOnline that the announcement of the knighthood for Sir Tony had been helpful for Mr Johnson.
‘I think if I was Boris given the trouble and the hassle he’s got, there’s only one other guy he can put into focus that would create as much controversy – and that is Tony Blair,’ he said.
Boris’s blinder was most likely to have been the act of giving Tony Blair his honor.
“If people want to recall a controversial ex-PM hand Tony Blair fast, you can knight him.
Angela Levin, a Royal biographer said that the Queen was in a tough spot but might have done the difficult thing to save the Prince of Wales from having to make the same decision.
MailOnline spoke to her, saying that she believed it was a very challenging situation for the Queen. It should have been expected in advance.
“Surely, it would have been discussed avec the Prime Minister as well as Prince Charles to avoid any involvement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
“Perhaps she insisted that he should be knighted as Diana’s widow felt indebted and persuaded Blair to come home to Buckingham Palace.