Gordon Brown admits 2003 invasion failed to bring peace to Iraq

Former prime minister Gordon Brown has said war in Iraq was unsuccessful in bringing peace to the country.

He said it will be up to the Chilcot Inquiry to decide whether 2003 invasion was "a just war", but said it was unsuccessful in delivering "a just peace" for many Iraqis.

Tony Blair, Mr Brown's predecessor at Number 10, has come under fire after claiming the present violent insurgency in Iraq is not the result of the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

Mr Brown gave his opinion on Mr Blair's comments during an event to mark the retirement of Scottish historian Tom Devine at Edinburgh University.

He said: "You've got to distinguish between a just war and a just peace.

"Whatever arguments there were for war, and you know how I voted on this, the problem is the peace.

"The problem is the inability to deliver what might be called a just peace."

Mr Brown voted in favour of the war in Iraq as chancellor of the exchequer in Mr Blair's cabinet.

He continued: "The problem in Iraq is that we have not been able to bring people together.

"The problem is the people don't see the fruits of prosperity, and the problem is that religious tensions remain strong.

"You can argue about a just war - and of course that is what the inquiry is going to be looking at.

"But you've also got to look at: did the peace deliver to the Iraqi people what they expected of it and they were promised?

"And of course the answer is the peace has been unsuccessful for so many people."