A PETITION calling for Tony Blair to be striped of his knighthood has gathered more than 400,000 signatures in three days.
The former British Prime Minister was appointed as a member of the Order of the Garter, England's oldest and most senior order of chivalry.
The appointments are made by the Queen and sees Blair become one of 21 current Knights and Ladies Companions, of which there can only ever be a maximum of 24 at a time.
However, the honour has sparked criticism, centring mainly around Blair's decision to take Britain into war with Iraq in 2003.
'Least deserving'
A petition started by Angus Scott on the change.org site has now gathered more than 400,000 signatures since it was set up in the wake of Blair's honour.
"Tony Blair caused irreparable damage to both the constitution of the United Kingdom and to the very fabric of the nation's society," argued Scott in his petition.
"He was personally responsible for causing the death of countless innocent, civilian lives and servicemen in various conflicts.
"For this alone he should be held accountable for war crimes.
"Tony Blair is the least deserving person of any public honour, particularly anything awarded by Her Majesty the Queen.
"We petition the Prime Minister to petition Her Majesty to have this honour removed."
Inquiry
A 2016 public inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq War was heavily critical of the decision to join the conflict.
The Chilcot Inquiry found Britain chose to join the invasion of Iraq before all peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted.
It also found that judgements about the severity of the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were presented with a certainty that was not justified.
Sir John Chilcot presents the Iraq Inquiry Report in 2016 (Image: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)Chilcot also claimed that the legal basis for British military intervention was "far from satisfactory", while British forces were ill-prepared for conflict.
While numbers of fatalities differ, the Cost of War Project estimates between 184,382 and 207,156 Iraqi civilians died in war-related violence in Iraq.
Following his knighthood, Blair said "it was a great privilege to serve as Prime Minister".
"It is an immense honour to be appointed Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and I am deeply grateful to Her Majesty the Queen," he said in a statement issued through the Tony Blair Institute.
"It was a great privilege to serve as Prime Minister and I would like to thank all those who served alongside me in politics, public service and all parts of our society, for their dedication and commitment to our country."
See More: New Year's Honours List, Tony Blair
