Rishi Sunak is not America's No. 1 ally like me, says Tony Blair

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Tony Blair criticized Rishi Sunak's lack of influence with Joe Biden - and said he backed the war in Iraq to ensure he was the first person the White House called in a crisis.< /p>

In an interview on the 20th anniversary of the dispute, the former prime minister admitted to turning down a last-minute offer from the President George Bush asking British troops not to participate in the war.

He said he was "uncomfortable" with the idea of ​​British troops joining the invasion American, but he went ahead because our special relationship with America would have been destroyed if we had left them to fight alone.

Mr. Blair defended his conduct, saying that when he was at Downing St he was always the first world leader called to the White House "hot line".

He doubted Mr Sunak would receive the same preferential treatment from Mr. Biden.

Mr. Blair's comments were made on the day that Mr. Sunak is in America for talks with Mr. Biden on greater U.S.- British ation on defence. Mr Biden is also expected to accept an invitation from Mr Sunak to visit Northern Ireland in April to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr. Blair told a BBC Radio 4 series about the Iraq War: "When I was prime minister there was no doubt under President Clinton or President Bush who the president picked up the phone from first. It was the British Prime Minister.

"Today we are out of Europe. Whether Joe Biden would pick up Rishi Sunak's phone first, I'm not sure."

Mr Blair confirmed that on the eve of the Iraq war, when he faced a major Commons revolt, Mr Bush told him he would be happy if British troops did not

Asked why he rejected an "issue" when Mr. Bush had said "you don't have to do this", Mr. Blair replied: "Yes, but I was sure that our alliance depended on our working together.

"Don't be in doubt at all: if Britain had left the alliance and said 'go ahead and do that", that would have a had a significant impact on our relationship.'

Mr Bush's deputy national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, told 'Shock and War' (corr) that Mr Bush had said to Mr. Blair: 'Listen, Tony, it's more important to me and to the United States that you stay in power than to have you on my side in an operation in Iraq, as much as I want. '

Mr. Hadley s...