Drama punishes Blair for Iraq war crimes

A NEW TV drama is set to make uncomfortable viewing for Tony Blair — it sees him extradited to The Hague over the Iraq war.

Set in 2010, The Trial Of Tony Blair, starring Robert Lindsay, sees the former premier plagued by nightmares about the war and fears that he will be killed by a suicide bomber.

Viewers of the controversial More4 drama will also see Mr Blair convert to Catholicism to seek forgiveness for his sins.

Lindsay, who also starred as the prime minister in the drama A Very Social Secretary, said he took the role because he was driven by anger over the Iraq war.

He said at the screening of The Trial Of Tony Blair: “I was seriously angry with him for making the decision to go to war. That’s why I did the film.”

The drama will also make unpleasant viewing for Gordon Brown.

He wins with a majority of just two seats after a jealous Blair, incensed by his huge popularity, sabotages his chances of taking the election by storm by leaking an email Mr Brown sent as chancellor saying that taxes would have to be raised.

But as prime minister, Mr Brown ultimately gets his revenge by allowing Mr Blair to be sent for trial at The Hague.

In the drama, which is broadcast on Monday, George W Bush is in rehab after being discovered comatose at his ranch.

Mr Blair is convinced he will be offered a plum job at the UN or in the US administration as an adviser, to US President Hillary Clinton.

But instead his former star friends Bono, Kevin Spacey and Bill Gates are not returning his calls, while the US sticks the knife in over The Hague tribunal so that it removes itself from blame for the conflict, which is still raging.

Tory leader David Cameron is also ridiculed in the drama, by writer Alistair Beaton, for chasing the vegetarian vote and pretending to be a keen cyclist and champion of green issues.

Blair also faces trial by theatre over his role in Iraq.

London’s Tricycle Theatre, with a reputation for political plays based on real-life trials and inquiries, is staging “Called to Account: The Indictment of Anthony Charles Lynton Blair for the Crime of Aggression Against Iraq — a Hearing.”

The play will be based on a debate between two leading British lawyers — Philippe Sands for the prosecution and Julian Knowles for the defence. Both belong to the same law practice as Blair’s wife, Cherie Booth.

Richard Norton-Taylor, a journalist at London’s Guardian newspaper, will condense the transcript from the lawyers’ debate into a play, which will run from April 19 to May 19.