Parliamentarians and celebrity campaigners have launched a bid to impeach Tony Blair for ?gross misconduct? over his justification for the Iraq war. The impeachment move, a symbolic parliamentary process rather than a realistic proposition in Blair?s case, is the first since the mid-19th century. Its supporters, including well-known figures like novelist Frederick Forsyth and actor Corin Redgrave, want to punish Blair for allegedly misleading the country over the threat from Iraq?s weapons of mass destruction.

With only 23 lawmakers backing an impeachment motion in parliament, Blair can rest assured he will not face the ultimate sanction of removal from office but it could embarrass a prime minister who remains vulnerable to events in Iraq. ?This is born out of the frustration of many parliamentarians that we simply cannot hold the prime minister to account in any other way,? said Jenny Tonge, MP for the Liberal Democrats.

The motion calls for a select parliamentary committee to be established to examine Blair?s conduct on Iraq and to report back within 48 days on whether there are grounds to impeach him. The Labour Party has a majority of more than 150 seats in the House of Commons. No Labour MPs have signed the motion although its backers say some in Labour secretly support it. The MPs from various opposition parties hope to force a debate in parliament over Blair?s pre-war assertion that Iraq?s banned weapons posed a threat. No weapons of mass destruction have been found.

Katherine BALDWIN