The Iraq inquiry's star witness

The Iraq inquiry's star witness

Tony Blair is a barrister, a seasoned politican and an accomplished public performer.

To think that somehow his performance on Friday in front of the UK's inquiry into the Iraq war would turn up something we didn't know, something we hadn't heard or some amazing admission from the former prime minister was fanciful.

I sat in the very small room in central London as the inquiry's star witness walked in.He's a bit greyer than the last time I saw him in person. And more tanned.

The inquiry chairman reminded everyone Tony Blair was not on trial.

Behind him sat members of the public who won their seats in a ballot such was the demand to be here.

Some were wearing medals, one clutching a picture of a solider.

Like millions around the world, they wanted to hear the first public grilling of a British prime minister of why he went to war.

The questions revolved around the change in attitude to Saddam after the 2001 attacks in the US and if there was a secret deal with the US to go to war in Iraq.

Tony Blair said there wasn't.

He forcefully made his case for war when he said:

In the end it's a judgement. It's not about lies or deceit, its a decision.

In the end could we take the risk of him [Saddam] continuing to try to aquire weapons of mass destruction.

I had to take the decision and I believed - so did the cabinet and parliament that we were right not to run this risk.

Tony Blair has often said he was right to do what he did in Iraq. Don't expect that to change today.