Tony Blair has denied striking a covert deal with George Bush to invade Iraq at a private meeting in 2002 at the US president’s ranch.

Blair said he had been open about what had been discussed – that Saddam Hussein had to be dealt with and the method of doing that is open.

He said he had told the US president: ‘We have to deal with his WMD and if that means regime change, so be it.’ Blair was barracked by a member of the public as he made his closing statement at the end of a six-hour grilling at the Iraq inquiry.

Britain went to war with Iraq because Tony Blair told parliament that Saddam Hussein posed a direct threat to Britain and could launch a strike against us within 45 minutes. Where is the evidence that shows this, and why was this questions not asked repeatedly to Blair until he showed us the evidence?

Tony Blair is like the fly that hit the windscreen. When asked about it, the fly said ‘If I had the guts, I would do it again.’ If he had said we are going to war to topple an evil regime, I do not think we the British public would be so angry about it. Instead, he invented Weapons of Mass Destruction and deceived us,sparking theories that the Middle East’s rich oil reserve was the true reason.

The fact is, the war was illegal.When the PM announces in Parliament that there are WMD 45 minutes away threatening the country, then it is reasonable that some might believe him.

Did he mislead Parliament and the country? I say yes, with doubt.

Blair let us and himself down. In my opinion, he did more to dishonour this country than almost any British politician in history.

Coun Salim Mulla