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| Brown feared sack, says Blunkett | Brown feared sack, says Blunkett |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown publicly backed the invasion of Iraq only after realising Tony Blair would sack him as chancellor if he did not, David Blunkett has said. The Guardian and Daily Mail, which are serialising the ex-minister's memoirs, say the book reveals tense Cabinet discussions in the run-up to the war. | |
| Mr Blunkett says Mr Brown decided "he was coming on board" over the war days before MPs voted for military action. | Mr Blunkett says Mr Brown decided "he was coming on board" over the war days before MPs voted for military action. |
| But Mr Brown dismissed the reports, and said Mr Blunkett had been misquoted. | But Mr Brown dismissed the reports, and said Mr Blunkett had been misquoted. |
| 'Choice' to make | 'Choice' to make |
| In his taped diaries, Mr Blunkett claims that ministers' questions over the post-war reconstruction of Iraq were "never satisfactorily resolved". | In his taped diaries, Mr Blunkett claims that ministers' questions over the post-war reconstruction of Iraq were "never satisfactorily resolved". |
| Despite the biggest ever rebellion by Labour MPs, the government won a Commons vote on the war in March, 2003. | Despite the biggest ever rebellion by Labour MPs, the government won a Commons vote on the war in March, 2003. |
| In the aftermath, Mr Blunkett recorded in his diary: "Gordon has made a real effort to bat in this week and I think there's been a realisation by him that Tony isn't going and that he's got a choice. | In the aftermath, Mr Blunkett recorded in his diary: "Gordon has made a real effort to bat in this week and I think there's been a realisation by him that Tony isn't going and that he's got a choice. |
| I don't think that at that stage we fully appreciated just how long and how deep the split would be, not just in the party, but in the country David Blunkett on depth of feeling against the war | I don't think that at that stage we fully appreciated just how long and how deep the split would be, not just in the party, but in the country David Blunkett on depth of feeling against the war |
| "He either bats in and holds on to the chancellor's job or he fails to bat in and Tony will take him out when the military action is finished." | "He either bats in and holds on to the chancellor's job or he fails to bat in and Tony will take him out when the military action is finished." |
| But the chancellor threw cold water over the reports that he had only offered his support for the war at the last minute. | But the chancellor threw cold water over the reports that he had only offered his support for the war at the last minute. |
| He said: "I always supported the actions of the Cabinet. I don't think David Blunkett has ever said such a thing. If he is reported as saying that, he has been entirely misquoted. | He said: "I always supported the actions of the Cabinet. I don't think David Blunkett has ever said such a thing. If he is reported as saying that, he has been entirely misquoted. |
| "I think he was referring to the weekend before the final decision was taken by Parliament when I specifically went out, not as defence secretary, not as foreign secretary but as chancellor, and put the case directly to the people of the country. | "I think he was referring to the weekend before the final decision was taken by Parliament when I specifically went out, not as defence secretary, not as foreign secretary but as chancellor, and put the case directly to the people of the country. |
| "At every time I was working with Tony Blair in unison and harmony for the same result". | "At every time I was working with Tony Blair in unison and harmony for the same result". |
| In his diary, Mr Blunkett makes clear he thought it was "important to be very supportive of Tony at Cabinet" in the build-up to war. | In his diary, Mr Blunkett makes clear he thought it was "important to be very supportive of Tony at Cabinet" in the build-up to war. |
| But not long after the conflict began, the former home secretary warned that the Allied forces were fighting with a "medieval strategy" of laying siege to towns. | But not long after the conflict began, the former home secretary warned that the Allied forces were fighting with a "medieval strategy" of laying siege to towns. |
| 'Big mistakes' | 'Big mistakes' |
| In a more recent note, added to the diaries, he says: "It is worth reflecting that throughout this period, there were some of us who were raising, both in the War Cabinet and privately, the questions that I think Tony was raising personally with George Bush but which were never satisfactorily answered." | In a more recent note, added to the diaries, he says: "It is worth reflecting that throughout this period, there were some of us who were raising, both in the War Cabinet and privately, the questions that I think Tony was raising personally with George Bush but which were never satisfactorily answered." |
| Among these was the decision to disband the Iraqi army and dismantle the country's administrative and security structures after the fall of Saddam Hussein, both of which he described as "big mistakes". | Among these was the decision to disband the Iraqi army and dismantle the country's administrative and security structures after the fall of Saddam Hussein, both of which he described as "big mistakes". |
| As the war approached, Mr Blunkett claims Mr Blair came under pressure in Cabinet over his close relations with Mr Bush. | As the war approached, Mr Blunkett claims Mr Blair came under pressure in Cabinet over his close relations with Mr Bush. |
| He says the then Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's approach to the conflict and the aftermath of 11 September was "gung ho", adding that he got carried away with "all this Boy's Own stuff". | He says the then Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's approach to the conflict and the aftermath of 11 September was "gung ho", adding that he got carried away with "all this Boy's Own stuff". |
| He criticised the briefings given to the War Cabinet by top military officers, commenting that he and the chancellor agreed they could learn more about the progress of the war from media reports. | He criticised the briefings given to the War Cabinet by top military officers, commenting that he and the chancellor agreed they could learn more about the progress of the war from media reports. |
| Terror toll | Terror toll |
| He later added a note to his diary claiming that the government failed to understand the depth of public feeling against the war. | He later added a note to his diary claiming that the government failed to understand the depth of public feeling against the war. |
| He said of the million-strong anti-war march in London a month before the conflict: "Although we understood the tremendously deep and passionate feelings generated by the Iraq issue, I don't think that at that stage we fully appreciated just how long and how deep the split would be, not just in the party, but in the country." | He said of the million-strong anti-war march in London a month before the conflict: "Although we understood the tremendously deep and passionate feelings generated by the Iraq issue, I don't think that at that stage we fully appreciated just how long and how deep the split would be, not just in the party, but in the country." |
| Mr Blunkett says he was also concerned about the toll the war and the terror crisis was taking on Mr Blair. | Mr Blunkett says he was also concerned about the toll the war and the terror crisis was taking on Mr Blair. |
| "I fear Tony is killing himself. He went to Saudi Arabia, to Syria, to Jordan, to Israel and next week he's going to Washington. | "I fear Tony is killing himself. He went to Saudi Arabia, to Syria, to Jordan, to Israel and next week he's going to Washington. |
| "He's just completely doing himself in. It's frightening." | "He's just completely doing himself in. It's frightening." |
| Mr Blunkett also commented that the decision to send armoured vehicles to Heathrow in response to a terror scare in January 2003 was "a mistake ... way over the top". | Mr Blunkett also commented that the decision to send armoured vehicles to Heathrow in response to a terror scare in January 2003 was "a mistake ... way over the top". |