It's a huge day for us today.

Tony Blair, former MP for Sedgefield, faces six hours of questioning before the Iraq war inquiry.

It is unprecedented for a British prime minister to face such a public examination for taking the country to war.

I can't believe today's front pages haven't done more to set the scene for such an historic moment.

The Northern Echo's front page is attached (right).

We will also be giving live updates from the inquiry on our website www.northernecho.co.uk.

And we are out in Sedgefield, assessing the mood of the people who placed such trust in Mr Blair.

How will history judge him? The next six hours will do much to determine his legacy.