Apologise for Iraq war, Blair told

Tony Blair must apologise for the war in Iraq if he is to regain the trust of voters, a Labour MP said today.

Backbencher Christine McCafferty said the British Prime Minister should “hold his hands up and say ‘I got it wrong”’, otherwise many voters would want to see the back of him.

Ms McCafferty, MP for Calder Valley, said anger over the war had virtually “obliterated” the British government’s many achievements since 1997.

Mr Blair now had to regain voters’ trust.

“There clearly are issues of trust,” she said.

“If the Prime Minister were to hold his hands up and say ‘I got it wrong’ and perhaps apologise, then maybe people would be willing to trust again. But if he doesn’t do that, then I think many voters will think it is time to have a new leader.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s The World at One, the MP said Labour had to demonstrate “very, very quickly” it was a party that kept its word.

Mr Blair had convinced backbench doubters of the case for war in Iraq. But they now knew he had taken the country to war on a “false premise”.

They were now very disillusioned with his leadership, she said.

Mr Blair has admitted the war cast a shadow over support for Labour. Cabinet ministers have attributed Labour losses in last night’s council elections to unhappiness with the situation in Iraq.