Tony Blair should face trial for war crimes over Iraq, says Jeremy Corbyn

Tony Blair should be charged with war crimes for ordering the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn has claimed.

In an extraordinary attack on Labour's most successful ever leader, Mr Corbyn said that 'those that made the decisions' in the run-up to the conflict should be put on trial.

He said Mr Blair should be made to 'explain' launching an 'illegal' war which he said helped cause recent migrant deaths in the Mediterranean.

Tony Blair should be charged with war crimes for ordering the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn has claimed

Mr Corbyn was one of the most rebellious Labour MPs during the decade when Mr Blair was prime minister, voting against the Iraq War, ID cards and foundation hospitals.

But his demand that a former party leader stand trial for war crimes marks a dramatic escalation in the hostilities in the Labour party, weeks before it must choose a successor to Ed Miliband.

It comes as a fresh row has erupted over the delayed publication of the inquiry into the conflict, with David Cameron demanding chairman Sir John Chilcot name a date for it to be finally released.The 2003 Iraq war remains one of the most damaging and divisive decisions of the Blair government.

Speaking in an interview on BBC2's Newsnight, Mr Corbyn said Mr Blair will have to answer for his decision to join US President George Bush sending in troops to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

We went into a war that was catastrophic, that was illegal, that cost us a lot of money, that lost a lot of lives

Jeremy Corbyn 

'We went into a war that was catastrophic, that was illegal, that cost us a lot of money, that lost a lot of lives, and the consequences are still played out with migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, refugees all over the region,' Mr Corbyn said.

Asked if Mr Blair should be charged with war crimes, Mr Corbyn went on: 'If he's committed a war crime, yes. Everyone who's committed a war crime should be.

'I think it was an illegal war, I'm confident about that, indeed (former UN secretary general) Kofi Annan confirmed it was an illegal war, and therefore he has to explain to that.

'Is he going to be tried for it, I don't know. Could he be tried for it? Possibly.'

Pressed on whether he would like to see Mr Blair put on trial, he said: 'I want to see all those that committed war crimes tried for it, and those that made the decisions that went with it.'

The veteran left winger, pictured at a campaign rally in Croydon, south London yesterday, said the conflict was an 'illegal war' and that the individuals who 'made the decisions that went with it' should face justice

In Croydon, hundreds turned up to a rally to show support for the 66-year-old, a long-standing critic of Mr Blair

GIVE ME A DATE FOR IRAQ REPORT, CAMERON TELLS CHILCOT

David Cameron has told Sir John Chilcot (pictured) to name the date he will deliver his report

David Cameron has told Sir John Chilcot to name the date he will deliver his long-delayed report for the sake of the families of those who died in Iraq. 

Whitehall officials want the retired civil servant to present a timetable for publication after Parliament returns in October following the party conferences.

More than £10million has been spent on the official inquiry into the Iraq War since it was set up in 2009 with the aim to be completed by the end of 2010, but a publication date has still not yet been given.

Mr Cameron said he was stepping up his demands after he met a mother whose son was killed near Basra as he attended a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in June.

He said: ‘I want to see it as soon as possible. Right now I want a timetable. 

‘I can’t make it go faster because it’s a public inquiry and it’s independent, but I do want a timetable and I think we deserve one pretty soon.'

Mr Blair has repeatedly defended the Iraq war. Speaking in Davos last year he said: 'You can have a debate about whether this was the right or the wrong decision. '

But I would also point out, and I think many people in Iraq would, that Saddam Hussein wasn't exactly a force for stability, peace and prosperity for his country and was responsible for killing many, many hundreds of thousands of people.'

Last month the former Prime Minister warned Labour would be out of power for another decade of it lurched to the left and made Mr Corbyn leader.

In a blunt attack on the leftwinger, Mr Blair insisted: 'You don't win from a traditional leftist platform.'

He made clear his irritation with those tempted to support Mr Corbyn: 'It would not take the country forwards, it would take it backwards,' he said. 'This is why when people say 'My heart says I should really be with that politics' - get a transplant.'

But many of Mr Corbyn's backers have joined his campaign precisely because of his opposition to Mr Blair.

Communication Workers Union general secretary Dave Ward launched extraordinary attack on the Blairite modernisers who have been dismayed by Mr Corbyn's rise.

He said: 'There are no quick fixes for the Labour party, but there are some easy decisions and choosing Jeremy as its leader should be one of them.

'We think that it is time for a change for Labour. The grip of the Blairites and individuals like Peter Mandelson must now be loosened once and for all. There is a virus within the Labour party and Jeremy Corbyn is the antidote.'

Mr Corbyn has enjoyed an extraordinary surge in support in recent weeks, from 100/1 outsider to a frontrunner in some opinion polls to become Labour leader. 

He has used a series of campaign events to set out his anti-austerity pitch, to the delight of hundreds of supporters, many of them in their teens and twenties.

Showing their support: Mr Corbyn's comments came following a rally in south London (pictured) which saw hundreds of people flock to support the man they hope will be the next Labour leader

MEANWHILE... HIS RIVALS HEAD OFF ON THEIR HOLIDAYS

Jeremy Corbyn's frenetic activity on the campaign trail comes despite a truce between the Labour leadership candidates to allow each other to go on holiday.

An informal agreement is believed to have been made so that for several weeks during August, there would be no formal hustings.

However, the deal did not extend to the sort of grass roots campaigning favoured by Mr Corbyn, which has seen him hold rally after rally.

Yvette Cooper is currently on a camping holiday in America with her husband Ed Balls and the couple's three children. Andy Burnham and his wife Marie-France van Heel are heading to Spain.

Liz Kendall's campaign team said she was taking 'a few days' break with family'.

The truce has horrified senior Labour figures, with ballot papers being sent out and the result due in barely six weeks.

Mr Corbyn appears to have no plans for any rest and relaxation, instead focusing on building his support.

Last night he addressed a rally in Croydon, south London, where he took to the stage to rapturous applause.

The Islington North MP, who arrived an hour late because of train delays, finally got behind the microphone and told the crowd: 'Austerity is a political agenda.'

He claimed the country's economic system subsidised high rents and low wages, and called on Labour to tackle the issue head-on.

'The idea that you walk away because you're a party afraid of your own shadow is also a very bad place to be in,' he said.

My Corbyn's speech also focused on education and housing.

He joked that he had an 'old fashioned belief' that people who teach children in classrooms should be qualified, before insisting that 'everything this Government is doing on housing is wrong'.

After the speech he took questions from the audience, which included how he would cope with leading MPs who are currently campaigning against him, and what his advice would be for Labour supporters if he fails to win the vote.

His reaction to the latter was 'keep on trucking'.

The session ended after an hour, at which point Mr Corbyn posed for selfies with those who turned out to support him.  

Roshni Fernando, 19, a history of arts student from Croydon, described the speech as 'inspiring and electrifying'.

The Labour Party member went on: 'He's saying something different from the other candidates.' 

Sean Creighton, 68, from Norbury, said: 'He's saying everything I've believed in for decades.'

LEADERSHIP VOW: BURNHAM'S PLEDGE TO RE-NATIONALISE THE RAILWAYS

Pledge: Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham will re-nationalise the railways if he becomes Labour leader

Andy Burnham is to pledge a 'line-by-line' re-nationalisation of the railways if he succeeds in his bid for the Labour leadership.

The shadow health secretary will set out his plans for a 'progressive' programme to take the railways back into public ownership when he publishes his campaign manifesto on Thursday.

He will also commit to the establishment of a new 'national rail' government body, answerable to the transport secretary, to ensure passengers are always offered the cheapest ticket for their journey, and the re-regulation of the bus services.

His announcement, disclosed in the Daily Mirror, is likely to be seen as an attempt to claw back ground from Mr Corbyn whose gathering campaign momentum has alarmed the shadow cabinet.

'We need a new approach to our railways, one that puts passengers before profit. That's why I will work to bring the railways back under public control and public ownership,' his manifesto will say.

'Under my leadership, Labour will ensure there is proper and accountable public control of the railways, with passengers' interests put first - an end to the fragmentation and privatisation.'