Iraq war Blair's 'big mistake,' says minister
Iraq-UK, Politics, 11/18/2006

UK Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Hodge was reported Friday to have called the Iraq war as Prime Minister Tony Blair's "big mistake in foreign affairs."

Hodge said she had had doubts about Blair's attitude to foreign affairs as far back as 1998, according to local Islington Tribune newspaper.
His comments, in which she also criticised the prime minister's "moral imperialism" were said to have been made at a private dinner, organized by the Fabian Society in north London, where the weekly paper is based.

But she was said to have denied making the comments.

Replying to a question from a guest at the event, the trade minister reportedly said that she had accepted Blair's arguments about the supposed dangers posed by Iraq because "he was our leader and I trusted him."

But after criticizing the prime minister, she was cited saying that she hoped "this isn't going to be reported."

Hodge, who was born in Egypt, has held four different ministerial posts since she was first brought into the government by Blair in 1998.

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