Tony Blair was given of the country's highest honours on New Year's Ev
Tony Blair was given of the country’s highest honours on New Year’s Eve (Picture: Getty)

There are already calls to strip Tony Blair of his knighthood, less than 24 hours after the former Prime Minister received the honour.

Labour’s ex-leader was handed one of the country’s most senior titles in the Queen’s New Year’s Honour List, sparking an immediate backlash due to his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was announced that Blair would become Sir Tony and be appointed a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior British Order of Chivalry.

The honour is frequently given to past prime ministers but Sir Tony has had to wait 14 years since he left Downing Street in 2007 to finally get his appointment.

However a petition was started almost straight away calling for the honour to be rescinded, and had been signed more than 10,000 times by Saturday afternoon.

The 90s pop band Right Said Fred were among those who shared the link on social media.

Others called for the honours’ system to be reformed or abolished entirely in light of the decision.

Angus Scott, who started the petition, accused Sir Tony of causing ‘irreparable damage to both the constitution of the United Kingdom and to the very fabric of the nation’s society.’

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 29: Queen Elizabeth II Joining Prime Minister Tony Blair At Number 10 Downing Street For The Queen's Golden Jubilee Dinner Attended By All The Surviving Prime Ministers Of Her Reign. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Sir Tony left office 14 years ago (Picture: Getty)

He claimed the former Labour leader was responsible for the deaths of ‘countless innocent civilian lives.’

‘Tony Blair is the least deserving person of any public honour, particularly anything awarded by Her Majesty the Queen’, the petition states.

Sir Tony led the country into two bloody wars in the Middle East after 9/11 alongside American President George W. Bush.

The eight year war in Iraq resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties while the country is still dogged by corruption and terrorism.

File photo dated 3/10/1996 of Tony Blair with Jack Straw (right). Blair blocked proposals for an ambitious race equality strategy following the inquiry report into the racist killing of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence in south-east London in 1993, according to newly released government papers. Issue date: Thursday December 30, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story RECORDS Race. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
Chilcott found the evidence Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction was presented with ‘unwarranted certainty’ (Picture: PA)

In 2016, the long-awaited Chilcott Inquiry found Saddam Hussein did not pose an urgent threat to British interests and intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction was presented with ‘unwarranted certainty’.

At the time, Sir Tony responded by saying he would ‘take the same decision’ to invade Iraq again if he was presented with the same intelligence.

Upon his knighthood being announced on New Year’s Eve, the former Labour leader said: ‘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.

‘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.’

Sir Tony led New Labour to a landslide victory in 1997, winning two subsequent general elections before quitting Westminster a decade later, paving the way for his chancellor Gordon Brown to take over as prime minister.

The 68-year-old famously branded Diana, Princess of Wales, the ‘people’s princes.

The former barrister became a Middle East envoy and set up his own non-for-profit group, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, after leaving politics.

.