Blair could not look them in the eyes

The Chilcott Inquiry do not do emotion. Blair’s second helping of clement questioning was carried out in front of bereaved relatives who lost loved ones in his crusade. At the first hint of anger from the watchers, the emotional black hole, aka the chairman, intervened with a rapid 'sshh.' But he couldn’t suppress all the feeling in the room.

Blair was castigated last year by the media for failing to express his regrets for the loss of life. This time was going to be different. 

“This time he wanted to make amends, declaring: "Of course I regret deeply and profoundly the loss of life."

“Instantly, there was a cry of "too late" from the people seated behind him, packed together in a windowless room much smaller than it appears on television – a fact that only added to the intensity of the moment. That sparked a chorus of "too lates", most of them coming from women, bereaved wives and daughters, sisters and mothers. One called out acidly: "You've had a year to think about it."

Blair pressed on, offering his thoughts on lessons to be learned for the future. As he spoke of improved systems for the "transmission" of information to the prime minister, two women stood up and turned their backs in mute protest. After a few seconds, they headed for the door.

And finally, after Chilcot had thanked him for his evidence, the former prime minister got up to leave. As he did, the room burst. "Your lies killed my son," shouted Rose Gentle in a loud, ringing voice, remembering Fusilier Gordon Gentle who was killed in 2004. "I hope you can live with that."

Blair did not look back, nor did he even glance sideways as he brushed past Reg Keys – the father of Lance Corporal Tom Keys – who stood as an anti-war candidate in Blair's Sedgefield constituency in the 2005 general election. "You're a disgrace to your office and to your country," Keys said, all but spitting the words.

Perhaps in anger at Blair's refusal to break his stride, one woman thundered that "He'll never look us in the eye." And then he was gone.” Guardian 22/1/2011

On a big news day, the anger and loathing of those betrayed by Blair ended on the cutting room floor. Shame on Blair and shame on the broadcast media.