SEDGEFIELD, May 6: The father of a young British soldier killed in Iraq delivered a cutting rebuke to Tony Blair after standing against him in Thursday’s election and said he hoped the prime minister would one day apologise. Reg Keys, who won 4,252 votes against the 24,421 secured by Blair in Sedgefield, northern England, said he felt a duty to his son killed shortly before his 21st birthday.

“Fighting this campaign has not been an easy task for me but I had to do it for my son,” said Reg Keys as Mr Blair stood expressionless on the returning platform. “Tonight there are lessons to be learnt and I hope in my heart that the prime minister one day will say sorry.”

Mr Keys said that had the war in Iraq been legal, he would have “grieved” and not “campaigned”. He went on to say he hoped Mr Blair would find time to visit wounded soldiers in hospital and dedicated his campaign to the 88 British servicemen killed in the conflict so far. —Reuters