BROWN BRANDED CRASS OVER IRAQ COMMENTS

BROWN BRANDED CRASS OVER IRAQ COMMENTS

BOTH BLAIR AND BROWN MUST GIVE EVIDENCE IN PUBLIC TO IRAQ INQUIRY

Comments by Gordon Brown have been branded as ‘completely crass’ after the Prime Minister claimed "Iraq is not the issue for people in Europe now. People must look forwards and not backwards” as he tried to drum up support for Tony Blair’s faltering campaign to become President of Europe.

SNP Westminster leader and party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Angus Robertson MP said the Prime Minister’s comments were insensitive considering the Chilcot inquiry is underway and repeated calls for the current and former prime ministers to give evidence in public.

Mr Robertson said:

“Gordon Brown’s remarks are completely crass considering the Chilcot inquiry is in the process of finding the truth about why we were led into an illegal and bloody war in Iraq. The answers to these questions are certainly not in the past, and the effects of the war will be with us for many years to come.

“Tony Blair’s record is tainted by the Iraq war, and no amount of cheerleading or glossing over by Gordon Brown can camouflage the most disastrous foreign policy decision of recent times.

“International law was broken. Military action was not sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council. Instead, the US/UK–led invasion was based on the erroneous proposition that Iraq harboured weapons of mass destruction that could be fired within 45 minutes.

“Tony Blair holds ultimate responsibility for the actions of his government – leading the country into war on a false premise. Mr Blair's hopes of securing a favourable legacy are long since in tatters – and he and Gordon Brown must confirm that they will give evidence to the Chilcot inquiry in public.”