Bush to honour Blair with Medal of Freedom

Politics Tony Blair will receive America's highest civilian award – the Presidential Medal of Freedom – from George Bush next week.

The former prime minister will be presented with the medal in a White House ceremony during President Bush's last week in office.

Mr Blair will receive the award with the former Australian prime minister John Howard and the Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe.

Mr Blair is now the Middle East peace envoy for Russia, the US, the EU and UN. His award was criticised by the Liberal Democrats, whose foreign affairs spokesman, Edward Davey, said: "Tony Blair should be spending next week helping to fix the mess in Gaza, not receiving an award for the biggest foreign policy disaster in recent history and his silence over Guantanamo Bay."