Since this heat does not lend itself well to sleep, I have read Tony Blair so that you do not have to. Blairites, it is not whether I agree with Peter Mandelson’s front man. It is whether you do. For example:
I don’t believe with the Trump Presidency we’re witnessing a ‘rupture’.
To be clear, we were never asked to ‘join’ America’s military action in Iran and, never having been part of the planning for such a mission, could not have been part of it. The initial request was simply for the use of our military bases for the refuelling of American planes. I understand the reasons for refusal but it’s not the best way to treat our ally.
Not for full articulation here [why not?], but we need a functioning relationship with the other superpower: China. Keir Starmer was absolutely right to visit. We have major points of disagreement with China but the idea we can afford to ignore China or treat China as if we were dealing with a modern version of the Soviet Union is profoundly mistaken. The Western alliance should be strong enough to deal with whatever comes from China; but stay engaged with it and where viable, cooperate with it.
There is a developing sense that as the country becomes more ‘European’, and British opinion moves against Brexit, then at some point it is ripe to enter a debate about ‘going back’. This is not a strategy.
The net-zero acceleration ... The prime minister and the chancellor should have said right at the outset: these are commitments which economic circumstances have rendered unwise to proceed with.
We should deal by whatever means with small boats.
Not civil-service retraining, but a new cadre of workforce, with the specialist technical skills necessary to do systemic change. Departments effectively run by ministers not exclusively from the ranks of Parliament if they have the necessary experience and capability in change management, with special provision for them to be accountable.
On that last point, Dominic Cummings rides again. So, David Miliband, Alastair Campbell, John Rentoul, David Aaronovitch, Oliver Kamm, Philip Collins, and all the rest, do you agree with those statements? And if Blair’s entire programme, which no sitting Labour MP appears to have welcomed, is still acceptable within the Labour Party, then will Blair, who is seven years younger than Donald Trump, be Labour’s candidate at the next parliamentary by-election after the three on 18 June? If not, why not?
People say Tony Blair isn't a true Labour man but I don't know what's more Labour than sharing a 6,000 word blog post about your relationship with the Labour Party.
ReplyDeleteBut does it still have a relationship with him?
DeleteEveryone in Labour has taken a break from battering each other to tell Tony Blair to shut up. Truly makes you proud to be a Labour member.
ReplyDeleteHe is a great unifying force.
DeleteHaving taken the time to read Blair’s latest brainfart it’s unbelievably bad even for him
ReplyDelete- work with the Tories to slash welfare
- stop illegal migration “by any means necessary” (sink the boats and drown them?)
- take away workers rights to “give business confidence”
- scrap net zero commitments
- let AI rip without regulation
- abandon the founding principles of the NHS and have private firms run rampant
- uncritically support Trump’s foreign policy
If this is the future of Labour under the “radical centre” the party is stone dead.
And the style. Just abysmal.
DeleteWhat exactly did Blair say that was wrong? Is he wrong that Labour’s net zero policy is destroying the British oil and gas industry and raising energy bills? Is he wrong that Labour’s National Insurance and business rates hike is destroying jobs and lowering wages for millions of workers? Is he wrong that we need to stop tens of thousands of illegal immigrants crossing every year on small boats?
ReplyDeleteIs he wrong that loading businesses with more red tape is further strangling growth when the economy’s already in the doldrums and productivity low? Is he wrong that spending far more on welfare than on support to find work probably isn’t going to reduce the mass youth unemployment revealed in today’s figures? Is he wrong that now isn’t the time to restart the Brexit debate? Is he wrong that there’s no point Labour having a change of leader without a change in policy?
The fact that Labour now can’t even seem to comprehend such common sense shows how far out of touch they now are. It’s why they are where they are in the polls.
Blairites, it is not whether I agree with Peter Mandelson’s front man. It is whether you do.
Delete“ we need a functioning relationship with the other superpower: China. Keir Starmer was absolutely right to visit. We have major points of disagreement with China but the idea we can afford to ignore China or treat China as if we were dealing with a modern version of the Soviet Union is profoundly mistaken. The Western alliance should be strong enough to deal with whatever comes from China; but stay engaged with it and where viable, cooperate with it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a developing sense that as the country becomes more ‘European’, and British opinion moves against Brexit, then at some point it is ripe to enter a debate about ‘going back’. This is not a strategy.
The net-zero acceleration ... The prime minister and the chancellor should have said right at the outset: these are commitments which economic circumstances have rendered unwise to proceed with.
We should deal by whatever means with small boats.”
Indeed. What’s wrong with any of that? Unless you support net zero acceleration, illegal migration crossings, behaving as if China doesn’t exist, and ludicrous calls to reopen the Brexit debate?
Otherwise, it’s common sense.
Blairites, it is not whether I agree with Peter Mandelson’s front man. It is whether you do.
Delete