BLAIR ADMISSION RAISES CRUNCH QUESTIONS FOR BROWN

BLAIR ADMISSION RAISES CRUNCH QUESTIONS FOR BROWN

"THE HEAT IS NOW ON PM AS THE CHANCELLOR WHO WROTE THE CHEQUES"

Seizing on the admission by Tony Blair that it would have been "right to remove" Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein even without evidence he had weapons of mass destruction, SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP said that Gordon Brown must give evidence to the Chilcot inquiry and explain whether he would have still bankrolled the illegal war had he know there was no WMD in Iraq.

Mr Robertson said:

"Tony Blair appears to be re-writing history before he is called before the Iraq inquiry, but his admission now raises crunch questions for the current prime minister. Would Gordon Brown still have bankrolled the war had he known there were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?

"The heat is now on Gordon Brown, as the Chancellor who wrote the cheques for this disastrous and illegal war.

"Tony Blair took us to war on a false prospectus, and Gordon Brown bankrolled it - both men should appear side by side when they give evidence, so that we can get to the truth behind the biggest foreign policy disaster in modern times.

"This inquiry will be judged on the answers that it provides, and these fundamental questions must be addressed."