Tony Blair and President Bush might have secretly “signed in blood” a deal to overthrow Saddam Hussein a year before ordering the Iraq war, according to a former senior diplomat. Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain’s Ambassador to Washington in the run-up to the war, said an agreement to aim for “regime change” may have been reached during a private meeting at the President’s Crawford ranch in April 2002. He also said that, in his view, Baroness Thatcher would have had a clearer grip on Britain’s policy towards Iraq. Giving evidence on the third day of the Chilcot inquiry into the war yesterday, he criticised Mr Blair’s failure to defend Britain’s national interest and to insist on much tougher conditions for his support for the US-led invasion in March 2003. Sir Christopher said the decision to overthrow Saddam had been taken in the absence of advisers by Mr Blair and President Bush during a meeting at the Texas ranch. Afterwards, Mr Blair referred to “regime change” in Iraq for the first time. “To this day I am not entirely clear what degree of convergence was, if you like, signed in blood at the Crawford ranch.” he said. “They weren’t there to talk about containment or strengthening sanctions.”