Making Tony Blair President of European Council would be disastrous mistake, says Liz Lynne

1.27.32pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st Oct 2009

Tony Blair's legacy of dishonesty and pandering to George Bush should rule him out, says Liz Lynne

An illegal war, complicity in torture and a 'peculiar relationship with truth' mean Tony Blair must not become President of the EU Council of Ministers, LibDem MEP Liz Lynne said today.

Commenting after a major debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg this morning on the new post among other issues, the West Midlands MEP said Tony Blair was the last person who should be chosen.

She said: "Tony Blair's legacy to British politics is still being determined, but his record of turning Britain into an international pariah over Iraq speaks volumes.

"The contrast between what he said and what he then did was so vast that one can only conclude that he has a peculiar relationship with truth.

"As well as dishonestly taking us to an illegal war over fictitious weapons of mass destruction, serious questions remain regarding Tony Blair's collusion with the Bush administration over extraordinary rendition and torture. The police are investigating what role MI5 and MI6 had with this process and what they were ordered to do by our then Prime Minister.

"A full time President of the Council of Ministers is a good idea but it is not about creating a new head of state. Appointing Tony Blair would be an unnecessary bone to throw to Euro sceptics because of the way he would do the job and his appalling record of ignoring principles of justice and democracy.

"We need a collegiate public servant in this job, not a demi dictator who only listens to his own very peculiar conscience.

"The whole point of this process is to streamline the enlarged EU and make the Council of Ministers work more efficiently, not to be a European Government.

"There will still be a President of the European Commission, and a President of the European Parliament - the President of the Council of Ministers will not be a 'head of state' and will be equal to them. Unlike the other two positions, the post will not be subject to approval of the European Parliament. But I hope the Parliament will speak out and reject the idea of President Blair."

ENDS