by Our News Desk

ONE of former prime minister Tony Blair’s top legal advisers called on David Cameron yesterday to “pull the plug” on the Chilcot inquiry.

Lord Morris of Aberavon, who was attorney general from 1997-99, said that the families of soldiers killed during the invasion of Iraq had been done a “gross disservice” by the inquiry’s endless delays and that Parliament should be allowed to vote on a timetable for publication.

“My sympathy is entirely with the families,” Lord Morris told the Daily Mail. He was backed by Lord Dannatt, the general who headed the armed forces from 2006-08, when British troops were still helping the United States to occupy Iraq. 

Lord Dannatt told reporters that either Sir John Chilcot himself or Mr Cameron should impose a guillotine on the “Maxwellisation process” by which individuals who are criticised in the report have the opportunity to respond.

He added, however, that he was not sure how legitimate such a cut-off would be.The peer spoke out on the same day that Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn said he would offer an apology for the war on behalf of the party if he won.

“Let us say we will never again unnecessarily put our troops under fire and our country’s standing in the world at risk,” Mr Corbyn said.

“Let us make it clear that Labour will never make the same mistake again, will never flout the United Nations and international law.”

He added that it was “past time” that Labour apologised to both the British people “for taking them into the Iraq war on the basis of deception” and to the Iraqi people for the huge suffering and loss of life the invasion caused.

Mr Corbyn was the only candidate in the Labour leadership race to vote against the war.

The US-led blitz on Iraq proved a huge boost to radical religious terrorists such as al-Qaida and now Islamic State, which had no presence in the country before. Iraq has not been at peace since.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament chair Dave Webb welcomed Mr Corbyn’s statement on the “immoral and illegal” conflict, while general secretary Kate Hudson emphasised that Mr Blair should stand trial for his actions.