Kier Starmer says Tony Blair deserves his Knighthood.

Sir Keir Starmer today insisted Tony Blair ‘deserves’ his knighthood after more than 500,000 people signed a petition calling for it to be ‘rescinded’.

You can sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/the-prime-minister-tony-blair-to-have-his-knight-companion-of-the-most-noble-order-of-the-garter-rescinded

Sir Keir – who opposed the Iraq War in 2003 – said the former Labour leader was a ‘very successful prime minister’ and ‘made a huge difference to the lives of millions of people in this country’. 

The current Labour premier also argued the appointment is not ‘thorny at all’ amid a growing backlash. 

A Change.org petition, set up three days ago, aims to strip Sir Tony of the title, accusing him of causing ‘irreparable damage to both the constitution of the United Kingdom and to the very fabric of the nation’s society’.

The petition criticises the ex-PM for his role in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and claims he is the ‘least deserving person of any public honour’. 

It is urging Boris Johnson to ‘petition Her Majesty to have this honour removed’. 

However, only petitions launched on the Parliament website can trigger a debate in the Commons – and the official platform has rejected efforts to start similar petitions.