A NEW drama based on the story of a grieving father who took on Tony Blair will be aired next week.

The BBC One programme Reg follows the true-life story of Reg Keys, who was a vocal opponent of the 2003 invasion in Iraq.

The one-off film by Jimmy McGovern is based on the real story of the Birmingham paramedic, whose eldest son Thomas was killed in the conflict in 2003.

After learning that the army ordered a scale-down in weapons and communications three weeks before his son’s death, leaving the six men in his division with limited resources to defend themselves, he decided to challenge Mr Blair.

In the 2005 General Election, Mr Keys - who has never had a meeting with Blair despite repeated requests - stood against the politician in Sedgefield, County Durham, as an independent candidate in opposition to the Iraq war.

More than a decade on - and despite the Chilcot report due in early July - Tim Roth, who plays Mr Keys, said he has little hope the former Prime Minister will respond to the film - or the Keys family.

“I have very low expectations of Tony Blair,” said Roth. “I think he’s profited from the death of Reg’s son and the Iraq war.

“I would like to think that he would see this and, within himself, have some kind of guilt and recognition of that.

“If it was my boy [who had been killed], I would like an apology, but I don’t see it coming. I don’t see a handshake in the future - and if a handshake or a moment of recognition did come, I would put money on it that it would be in front of the camera, that it would have not a thing to do with privacy or dignity.”

Known for his collaborations with Quentin Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and The Hateful Eight, Roth was opposed to the invasion from the outset.

A father-of-three. he was away from the UK at the time of the mass anti-war marches across the country.

“I had my mini protest,” he said. “I was in Budapest; they wouldn’t let you march but they would let you stand, so we went and stood in a public square being glared at by a policeman.”

On the subject of the war, he said: “I’ve always felt Blair should be hauled up in handcuffs and put in Wormwood Scrubs. I think that’s where he belongs.”

Although unaware of Keys’ story prior to his involvement in the film, Mr Roth’s interest was soon piqued.

“The script was fascinating to me - and had Jimmy’s name attached to it,” he said.

“I printed it, read it in bed with my wife and said ‘I’ll be doing this’. It’s an extraordinary story and comes with an incredible pedigree.”

The unflinching drama follows the family as they go to see Thomas’ body, attend his funeral and, over the course of time, find different outlets for their grief.

Reg airs on BBC One on Monday, June 6.