The outgoing PM appeared visibly nervous at the dispatch box as he paid tribute to the courage of British troops abroad.

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           "Margaret Beckett was in floods of tears below us. I didn't know she was capable!"
         CLICK HERE TO READ JASON GROVES' STINGING VIEW ON THE END OF BLAIR ERA.
   
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Mr Blair’s strong support for the American-led invasion of Iraq was the most controversial and unpopular move of his decade in power.

"I am truly sorry about the dangers that British forces face today in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

"I know some may think that they face these dangers in vain; I don’t and I never will. I believe they are fighting for the security of this country and the wider world against people who would destroy our way of life.

"Whatever view people take of my decisions, I think there is only way view to take of them: they are the bravest and the best."

Meanwhile Mr Blair’s appointment to a major diplomatic job as the international Middle East envoy prompted a range of reactions today - from downright condemnation to a cautious welcome as a “positive”  sign for the region.

His role will be to prepare the Palestinians for negotiations with Israel and to work with the Palestinians over security, economy and governance.

Christopher Pang, head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said there were “pros” and “cons” to Mr Blair’s appointment.

He said the perception in the Middle East of the Iraq war could be a drawback.

But he added that Mr Blair’s standing as an internationally-recognised statesman demonstrated the West was prepared to “re-engage” with the “hard issues” currently confronting the Middle East.

He said: “It seems at this point that the focus of his role would be to work with the Palestinians and help them to move forward economic development in the West Bank and Gaza.

“He would be working on security matters and good governance issues.

“I think altogether this shows that the West is prepared to work from the bottom up rather than the top down which was the perception with Iraq - that they were imposing democracy on a country - in this sense there are some positive signs to be taken from his nomination.”

But Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based pan Arab daily newspaper Al Quds, said he was “shocked” by the appointment.

He said: “I believe he is not fit for this job. He is the most hated man in the Middle East after George Bush.

“His legacy is really one of a war monger and the majority of Middle Eastern people think of him as, to be honest, a war criminal because of what happened in Iraq.

“His legacy is one of scandals, lies and spin. A man like this cannot be capable of tackling such a difficult situation.”