Winston Churchill and Harold Wilson took knighthoods immediately after departing Downing Street, while Clement Attlee and Maggie Thatcher had to wait around five years. He was made a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the. Edward Heath was appointed to the Order of Garter in 1992, 18 years after leaving office in 1974. Tony Blair's knighthood is a 'kick in the teeth' for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, anti-war campaigners have said. Only one former PM has had to wait as long as Sir Tony for the honour. It has been suggested that the Queen's strained relationship with him during his 10 years in office may have contributed to the 'snub'. ![]() The former prime minister was awarded the title by the Queen. The only exception, Alec Douglas-Home, was awarded the Order of the Thistle.īut Blair was forced to wait for more than 14 years. Tony Blair today suggested he does not want to be called Sir following his knighthood as he said he is perfectly happy with Tony. ![]() Unlike most honours, the Garter is the personal gift of the. Of course Mr Blair should be made a Knight of the Garter. Someone like this being honoured shows how corrupt and vile the system is."įergus Murray said: "As long as people like Blair get honoured, this whole system dishonours us."Īll but one of the Queen's nine Prime Ministers before Blair were appointed a Knight of the Garter, an honour created by Edward III in 1348, a few years after leaving office. Indeed, on the subject of Tony Blair’s knighthood, they seem to be united. You can sign up very simply by following the instructions hereĭeborah Warford, another signatory, said: "Tony Blair should be prosecuted not knighted. Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletter For this alone he should be held accountable for war crimes." "He was personally responsible for causing the death of countless innocent, civilian lives and servicemen in various conflicts. The petition has been set up on and has attracted over 380,000 signatures since it was set up two days ago.Īngus Scott, who started the petition, said: "Tony Blair caused irreparable damage to both the constitution of the United Kingdom and to the very fabric of the nation's society. Some critics branded Blair a "war criminal" for taking Britain into conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, leading to the deaths of more than 600 British military personnel and tens of thousands more civilians. READ MORE: Mum fighting for release of autistic son detained behind hatch ![]() The former prime minister was awarded the "Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter" in the New Year Honours List.īut the decision to award the ex-Labour leader with the prestigious title has provoked a backlash, with some people demanding an overhaul of the "corrupt" honours system. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.A petition calling for Tony Blair to be stripped of his knighthood has nearly reached 400,000 signatures. George's Day on April 23, but the monarch chose to bring forward the appointments this year to coincide with the New Year Honours list. ![]() Critics argue legacy of 2003 Iraq invasion makes former PM unsuitable for Queen’s highest honour. These high honours are usually announced to mark St. Speaker defends Tony Blair knighthood after backlash. With the new appointments there will now be 21 "knight and lady companions" appointed by the Queen, out of the maximum of 24.Īnother former British Prime Minister, Sir John Major, is among the current members of the Order of the Garter, along with businessman and philanthropist Lord Sainsbury and former MI5 chief Baroness Manningham-Buller. Besides, Baroness Valerie Amos, a member of the House of Lords, becomes a "lady companion", honouring her career as international development secretary, a United Nations under-secretary for humanitarian affairs and her current role as master of University College, Oxford.īorn in Guyana, she moved to Great Britain with her family in 1963 and built a career working for equal opportunities.Ī lifelong cricket fan, she is also an independent non-executive director of the England and Wales Cricket Board.īaroness Amos, 67, and Tony Blair, 68, become two of the order's younger members, with most in their seventies, eighties and above, in a post held until death.
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