Tony Blair giving a speech in central London: “it was no ordinary defeat for Labour...of course Brexit was an issue. It was a Brexit general election. It was a cardinal error to agree to it...made worse by a lack of consistent leadership.” 
Blair: “I believe with different leadership we would have kept the majority of our support in traditional labour areas...instead we pursued a path of almost comic indecision. The absence of leadership then reinforced all the other doubts about Jeremy Corbyn.”
Blair: “Corbyn embodied a path of quasi revolutionary socialism...this did not appeal to traditional labour voters and never will appeal to them. No sentient political party goes into an election with a net approval rating of -40%.”
Blair: “messrs Johnson and Cummings had a strategy for victory we had one for defeat.”
This is a crushing critique of the Corbyn strategy from Blair.
Nonetheless it is equally crushing for him that a decade after he left office, it is Blair himself who is having to speak for what is left of his wing of the party. No one has replaced him. His is a lonely voice.
Nonetheless it is equally crushing for him that a decade after he left office, it is Blair himself who is having to speak for what is left of his wing of the party. No one has replaced him. His is a lonely voice.
Blair is giving a tour of Labour history. Says New Labour was an attempt at bringing together the left and liberal wings of the Labour tradition. Also giving a riposte to those who say his govts neglected the working class.
Blair: “this defeat is seminal. We can not afford to repeat 1983...for the far left they say we won the argument. Except having convinced the British people that we were absolutely right, for some reason they inexplicably decided to go vote for the other guys.”
Blair: “The Labour Party is marooned on fantasy island...I understand why the candidates for leader want to go there and speak the native language....But we don’t have the luxury of the slow march back.”
Blair’s wrapped up speaking.
His diagnosis was pretty crushing.
But aside from traditional Blairite stuff about modernisation/getting with the spirit of the age, there wasn’t much in the way of prescription.
His diagnosis was pretty crushing.
But aside from traditional Blairite stuff about modernisation/getting with the spirit of the age, there wasn’t much in the way of prescription.
Asked Blair what pro EU candidates should do in leadership election
Says he doesn’t think Brexit will be an issue any more and will have to be accepted “we have to make the best of it”
Says he doesn’t think Brexit will be an issue any more and will have to be accepted “we have to make the best of it”
Asked Blair whether danger is energy of Corbyn project, esp support from the young drains away if Party goes in direction he suggests
Says support from young fell from 17-19: “like the rest of us they go through a period of political education”
Says support from young fell from 17-19: “like the rest of us they go through a period of political education”
Blair: “it really doesn’t matter if the candidate is from London or is not from London. What matters is they have the right politics. What people want is someone who can govern the country with a credible programme.”
Problem with Blair critique is he puts all Momentum/left types into one amorphous blob, the "hard left". This isn't true. There is a hard left faction which is reminscent of Bennites but there's a much bigger soft left group who could potentially peel away from Corbyn faction...
But they are unlikely to do so if they are insulted/written off as the problem/"hard left". Save for mass entryism it is this group, left by inclination but despondent at the defeat and open to persuasion, who probably hold the key.
