I WAS disgusted to read that Tony Blair did not attend the day-long debate on the Iraq war in the House of Commons on Wednesday, January 24.

How galling it must have been for our brave servicemen and women, who risk their lives daily for this unnecessary and illegal war, to read that he had considered a business meeting to be of more importance.

I can only imagine how the families of lost loved ones must have felt knowing that Blair, pictured, could not even be brave enough to face his responsibilities, or considered the debate too trivial for him to attend.

For a Prime Minster who had so much to say about getting us into the war, he apparently has few ideas and little to say about how he will get us out.

Instead of making the right decision to attend, he hid under the skirt of Margaret Beckett by asking her to face the criticism.

Maybe if the debate had been on more ways to raise taxes he would have shown more interest.

H Newman.

Woodhall Park, Swindon