Death of British soldier comes at bad time for Blair

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday defended his decision to go to war with Iraq as the decision to invade the battered country came back to haunt him in a final 48 hours of frantic election campaigning.

His plans to focus on Labour’s record on the economy continued to be overshadowed by the death of Guardsman Anthony Wakefield in Amarah, southern Iraq.

His estranged widow Ann Toward blamed Mr Blair for his death, forcing him and Chancellor Gordon Brown on to the defensive as they battled to convince wavering voters that supporting any other party would let the Tories into No 10.

Families of some of the other British servicemen who died in Iraq delivered a letter to No 10 asking for a full public inquiry into the conflict.

Earlier, Mr Blair had repeated his sympathy for Guardsman Wakefield’s family, saying: “I have expressed my deep sympathy and condolences to the family. I really don’t think there is anything I can, or should, say more than that and I don’t think it is right or appropriate to do so.”

Mr Blair was cornered in Gloucester by Mohammed Jaffer, who told him he supported his domestic policies but was angry about the decision to take Britain to war.

Mr Jaffer insisted: “Tony, can we trust you after Iraq? We have lost hundreds of lives, thousands of lives. We got the impression you were just following President Bush.”

Mr Blair replied: “In the end, you have got to try to do as prime minister what you think is right for the country and some of those decisions are very, very difficult.”

Meanwhile, relatives of British soldiers killed in Iraq yesterday threatened legal action against the British government and pledged to pursue Mr Blair over the way he ‘lied’ about the war.

Ten families signed a letter which was delivered to 10 Downing Street, demanding a public inquiry into the legality of the conflict. Mr Blair was given a 14-day deadline to agree to an inquiry before the families make an immediate application for a judicial review.

They told a press conference that they had “very real concerns” over the legality of the war.

Tony Hamilton-Jewell, brother of Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell who was killed near Basra, southern Iraq, in June 2003, accused Mr Blair of lying “yet again” in recent days by saying he had met all the families of those who had died.

“The man is covering up for himself and his government and he has got to be exposed,” he said.

Phil Shiner, the solicitor acting for the families, said it was a “very straightforward matter” of asking the Government to hold an independent inquiry.

Paul Bigley, brother of murdered hostage Ken Bigley said Tony Blair was not fit to be prime minister.