Writing a novel on Tony Blair

[Romeo]

Is it legal to write a ficticious story about Tony Blair or a real life person? You often see in books a disclaimer that says 'the characters in this story are ficticious. Any resemblance between them and persons dead or alive blah blah blah'.

[Ethel]

If you name a famous living person the character is not fictitious.

Most books have that rider to stop Joe Bloggs claiming damages, as it would be nigh on impossible to make up a name that does not exist in real life.

[Buenchico]

As long as it's clear that it's fiction, you're not defaming a real person by writing a story which features them. For example, a recent television programme has depicted Tony Blair, at some date in the future, facing a war crimes trial. You can be certain that the lawyers checked through the contents of that programme very carefully before it was broadcast but they obviously couldn't find anything which contravened the laws on defamation.

Chris