Tony Blair said last night his son Euan must face the consequences of being arrested while drunk - but insisted that the 16-year-old was "basically a good kid". Mr Blair was speaking the day after his son was found drunk and incapable by police in London's Leicester Square.
Last night, in an appearance on BBC1's Question Time, Mr Blair was asked who should face the penalty if a 16-year-old was arrested in such circumstances, the child or the father.
Mr Blair replied: "I think if anyone breaks the law, they should suffer the penalty of the law, whether they are my son or anyone else's son."
Asked by David Dimbleby whether that meant he thought his son should be prosecuted, Mr Blair replied: "Well that is a matter for the police, but if he has done something wrong, he has to pay the penalty of the law. I don't ask for any special preferences for my kid."
Mr Blair was asked by a member of the audience whether he was concerned that Euan had given police a false name and address. He replied: "Well of course I'm concerned about that. But I suspect and I think he was probably trying to save his parents a bit of embarrassment as much as anything.
"I simply say to you, it's not been the greatest day, let's put it like that, but my son is basically a good kid and we will get through this, and we are a strong family and we will see him right the other side of it."