Blair: War was 'most agonising decision I took' as PM

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is speaking in London about the Chilcot report:

"The decision to go to war in Iraq and remove Saddam from power, in a coalition of over 40 countries, led by the USA, was the hardest, most momentous, most agonising decision I took in my 10 years as Prime Minister. For that decision today, I accept full responsibility – without exception and without excuses.

"I recognise that many in our country are angry over the war and in particular I feel deeply and sincerely, in a way that no words can properly convey, the grief and suffering of those who lost the ones they loved in Iraq – whether the members of our armed forces, the armed forces of other nations, or Iraqis.

"The negligence assessments made at the time of going to war turned out to be wrong. The aftermath turned out to be more hostile, detracted and bloody than ever we imagined. The collation had set out with facts… and encounter another and the nation whose people we wanted to set free from the evil of Saddam, became instead victim to sectarian terrorism."