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Jeremy Corbyn ‘probably would’ back contempt motion against Tony Blair over Iraq

Discussing the Chilcot report’s findings on failures to prepare for post-Saddam Iraq, the Halton MP said: “I certainly have regrets over the fact that the post-invasion plan was clearly flawed and that the Americans chose to disband the Iraq security services and police, putting tens of thousands of men without jobs onto the streets”. It’s a bit like contempt of court.

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‘Now, the point is he might have done one of those accidentally – but five?

Conservative MP David Davis, who is tabling the motion, said that if his motion was accepted by Bercow it could be debated before parliament’s summer recess.

Corbyn, who long campaigned against the Iraq war, said the Chilcot report had highlighted how parliament was “denied the information it should have had” and pointed to the government’s “assertions of weapons of mass destruction”.

Blair is accused of dragging the United Kingdom into war in Iraq through blindly following the U.S. The infamous British politician is asked to account for the killing of British troops and the emergence of DAESH in Iraq.

He said he had not seen the motion yet, but “probably would” back it.

Newspaper front pages were scathing, with The Times describing it as “Blair’s private war” and the Daily Mail calling the former prime minister: “A monster of delusion”.

John Prescott, who was British Deputy Prime Minister during Britain’s participation in Iraq war, said on Sunday that it was an illegal war and violated worldwide laws.

And Lord Prescott now says he believes the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s claim that the invasion of Iraq was illegal was “right”.

Meanwhile, a cross-party group of lawmakers said they would seek next week a vote declaring Blair in contempt of parliament for misleading it in the run-up to the decision to go to war.

He told Marr: “Parliament must hold to account, including Tony Blair, those who took us into the particular war”.

“As the deputy prime minister in that government I must express my fullest apology, especially to the families of the 179 men and women who gave their lives in the Iraq war”.

Bush also defended the invasion in a statement given through his spokesman, saying: “The whole world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power”. He has also indicated he will “stand with” bereaved families who are considering legal action against Mr Blair. What won’t be so easily ignored is the Chilcot report.

Sir John Chilcot’s report, published on Wednesday, said Mr Blair had overstated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, sent ill-prepared troops into battle and had “wholly inadequate” plans for the aftermath of the conflict. “The point had not been reached where military action was the last resort”, it said.

The Houses of Parliament must “undo” the mistake of the Iraq war, former Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price has said.

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He said that the report exposed a “devastating establishment failure”.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair returns to Downing Street after appearing before the House of Commons Liaison Committee