In a striking new biography, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has expressed profound regret for not challenging Sir Tony Blair's drive to war in Iraq, admitting he was "misled" over the existence of weapons of mass destruction.
A Clearer View: Brown's Admission on Iraq
Speaking to biographer James Macintyre for Gordon Brown: Power With Purpose, Brown revealed he now believes the late Foreign Secretary Robin Cook "had a clearer view" than the rest of the government. Cook resigned from the Cabinet in 2003 in protest against the conflict.
Brown stated that Cook was "in front of us" when he argued that supporters of the war were being led astray by claims that Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs. This claim was the primary justification for the UK joining the US-led invasion, a justification later discredited.
"I did not have that evidence... [I] was being told that there were these weapons," Brown said. "But I was misled like everybody else... I did ask lots of questions... and I didn't get the correct answers."
Missed Opportunities and a Poisoned Partnership
The biography also details two other significant admissions from the former Chancellor and Prime Minister. For the first time, Brown concedes he should have called a snap election upon becoming Prime Minister in 2007, calling it a "mistake" he had previously only apologised for in vague terms.
Furthermore, Brown claims his fraught relationship with Blair was poisoned by a broken promise. He insists Blair assured him he would stand down after ten years as Labour leader in 2004, not ten years as Prime Minister in 2007. "What I regretted is that the understanding we had was never properly honoured," Brown says.
Blair's Praise and a Controversial New Role
Despite the historical tensions, Sir Tony Blair offered warm praise for his former colleague in the book, recalling their "incredibly productive partnership" and stating, "We used to have fun together."
This reflection on the Iraq War emerges as the Labour Party under Sir Keir Starmer debates its stance on potential future interventions, such as in Iran. It also coincides with Blair's controversial new appointment to a key role in Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" tasked with rebuilding Gaza, a move that has drawn criticism given his divisive legacy in the Middle East post-2003.
The revelations underscore the lasting political and personal consequences of the Iraq War decision. Historians have long argued that if Brown or another senior figure had resigned alongside Robin Cook, it might have prevented UK involvement.
Gordon Brown: Power With Purpose is published by Bloomsbury on February 12.
