Brown: Iraq invasion was about national economic interest
-04/05/05
Comments by Gordon Brown, who has today defended the invasion of Iraq in terms of British national economic interest, will be greeted with sadness by radical Christians.
The comments came as the Labour Chancellor defended Tony Blair after the grieving widow of the latest soldier to be killed in Iraq conflict blamed the Prime Minister for her husbandís death.
Mr Brown said the Government had acted in the British national interest when it went to war.
He was speaking after a devastated Ann Toward said she was in no doubt who was responsible for her estranged husbandís death.
ìI have said openly that Tony Blair is to blame,î Miss Toward told the Press Association from her home in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne.
ìThe bottom line is if they hadnít been over there, Anthony would still be alive today.î
Brown has previously been praised by Christian aid agencies and other Christian organisations for putting aside arguments about Britain’s economic self-interest in his support for the MakePovertyHistory campaign to cancel debts in the developing world and create fairer global trade.
As recently as last week on World Poverty Day Gordon Brown spoke about his commitment to increasing the aid budget, cutting debt and promoting fair trade.
Yesterday he also refused to commit to the replacement of Trident, a statement which encouraged many church leaders.
Brown, expected to be the next Labour leader is a Christian Socialist and