In an interview with the FT, former US president Bill Clinton seeks to draw a distinction between the British and American positions on Iraq.

The Democrat says Tony Blair was let down by France and Germany, who put him in an impossible position.

But he argues that the prime minister did at least support the invasion for well-intentioned reasons, unlike the Republican White House.

"You can say you think Blair made a mistake, but it's not the same thing as... we did in America," Clinton claims.