‘Unforgivable’: Majority of Brits can’t absolve Tony Blair of his Iraq war sins

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair can never be forgiven for taking the UK into the Iraq war, a majority of Brits said in an opinion poll.

Pollster YouGov carried out the survey ahead of the publication of the long-delayed Chilcot Inquiry report, which examines the legality of Britain’s 2003 Iraq invasion.

It found only eight percent believe Blair did nothing wrong, while 53 percent said they could never forgive him.

Some 15 percent of respondents said it was time to forgive Blair for his misjudgment.

Perhaps the most damning finding was that just 25 percent of Labour Party supporters are in favor of forgiving their former leader.

Blair was once a hero of the party, having entered Downing Street in a landslide election in 1997 and winning three consecutive general elections.

However, today he is remembered most for his decision to join the United States in invading Iraq in 2003.

A YouGov survey last year found just 26 percent of Brits believe it was right to take military action against Iraq in 2003.

The former Labour PM recently admitted he “profoundly” underestimated the complexity of Middle Eastern politics and the consequences that would ensue after the Iraq invasion.

This admission comes before the publication of the Chilcot report, which is said to be “absolutely brutal” in its verdict on the failings of the occupation.

Blair is already well aware of the criticisms in the report because of Britain’s Maxwellisation process, by which the subjects of an inquiry are allowed to respond to allegations before its conclusions are published.

Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped the former PM from intervening in Britain’s current defense policy. Earlier this week, Blair said Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) will not be defeated unless ground forces fight a “proper” war against them.