Tony Blair will be presented with one of America’s highest civilian honours by President Bush for his unfaltering support for the United States in the fight against terrorism, the White House announced yesterday.

The award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom is being made on January 13, just a week before Mr Bush leaves office after eight years in which his Administration has largely been defined by terror attacks at home and two unfinished wars abroad.

Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, said that Mr Blair will receive the medal from Mr Bush along with President Uribe of Colombia, and John Howard, the former Prime Minister of Australia.

“All three leaders have been staunch allies of the United States, particularly in combating terrorism. Their efforts to bring hope and freedom to people around the globe have made their nations, America and the world community a safer and more secure world,” she added.

A spokesman for Mr Blair said that it was a “great honour”, adding: “The award of this medal reflects the true courage of the men and women of the Armed Forces who, through their service and sacrifice have helped to safeguard freedom, democracy and human rights around the globe.”

Mr Blair will not, however, be picking up a Congressional Gold Medal of Honour, which was awarded to him in July 2003. This delay of 1,972 days — the longest for more than 20 years — has long since been the source of puzzlement and intrigue.

According to Sir David Manning, the former British Ambassador to Washington and a Downing Street adviser, Mr Blair felt unable to pick up the Congressional Gold Medal while still in office because the ceremony would reinforce the prejudices of those convinced that he was “some sort of poodle”. He told The Times in 2007: “You reach the point where if he had collected the medal, people would say that proves their point.”

The award, in any case, has bitter associations for the former Prime Minister. Within hours of receiving a huge ovation for his speech to both Houses of Congress he discovered that David Kelly, the government scientist named as the source for damaging stories on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, had killed himself.

Sir David said that the Prime Minister “always had inhibitions” about being handed a medal that was awarded shortly after the invasion of Iraq. He also acknowledged that the relationship between Britain and America had appeared “more unequal” in recent years.

The arrival of Barack Obama, the President-elect, in the White House this month is expected to find Britain once again clamouring for a special relationship with the US. Gordon Brown is thought to be keen that he, rather than President Sarkozy of France, wins the race to be the first European leader to visit the new president.

The two medals, which share status as America’s highest civil award, are rarely given to foreigners. Mr Blair will be the first Briton to be awarded the gold medal since Sir Winston Churchill. He will be the second former Prime Minister to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom after Baroness Thatcher.

Clare Short, the former Cabinet minister who resigned over the war in Iraq, said that she was unsurprised by the announcement. “It is for services rendered,” she said. “I think that it is rather good. It symbolises the whole thing. Bush is a disastrous president. Iraq was the most disastrous element of his presidency. Blair, by going along with it, made it all possible. They have been glued at the hip all the way. It is all very sad and fitting.” The MP, who intends to retire from the Commons at the next general election, suggested that Mr Blair had not picked up the Congressional Gold Medal “because it was an embarrassment”.

Star turns

Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients who have also been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal include: Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Nelson Mandela, Simon Wiesenthal, Colin Powell, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Gerald and Betty Ford, Billy Graham, Jesse Owens, Irving Berlin, Walt Disney and John Wayne

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