Long awaited Blair memoirs provoke protests

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair released his autobiography, A Journey, earlier this month, amid protests over his alleged accountability for the Iraq War in 2003.

Mr Blair’s book signing for the autobiography in Dublin shortly after its release resulted in mass protests, with shoes, eggs and bottles being thrown at the former Prime Minister. He later cancelled a book signing in Waterstones Piccadilly in London to "avoid hassle".

In his memoirs, Blair wrote about his time at Number 10, including his relationship with the then Chancellor Gordon Brown, and Britain’s involvement in Iraq.

He described Brown as "maddening", and with "zero emotional intelligence", yet playing tribute to his skills of political calculation.

Mr Blair wrote: “My failure to [remove him] was not a lack of courage…It was because I believed, despite it all, despite my own feelings at times, that he was the best chancellor for the country.”

The former prime minister also disclosed that Mr Brown tried to blackmail him over the "cash for honours" scandal, in which Blair was accused of selling seats in the House of Lords in exchange for sizeable donations to the party, unless the prime minister shelved radical pension reform plans.

On the Iraq War, Blair wrote of his "sorrow" for soldiers killed in the conflict. However, he claimed that ousting Saddam Hussein from power had justified the 2003 invasion. He said: "On the basis of what we do know now, I still believe that leaving Saddam in power was a bigger risk to our security than removing him.”

His memoirs have also stirred controversy among those related to fallen British soldiers. Prominent anti-war campaigner Andrew Burgin said in a statement:“To say he regrets the lives lost is completely meaningless. He is still living off their corpses after being given a retainer by JP Morgan, who have taken over the banking system in Iraq.

“He has to prove his regret and giving money to charity doesn't come close. He is giving a miniscule amount compared to the cost of war and rehabilitation of injured soldiers. It is laughable.”

In bookshops, Blair’s memoirs were a resounding success, grossing “up to a third more” than Peter Mandelson’s The Third Man in Waterstone’s when it was released earlier in the year. Internet retailer Amazon.co.uk predicted that Tony Blair’s will be "the biggest political memoir of all time".