Tony Blair wishes to advise the next Labour government on policy matters, he revealed in an interview with the actor Michael Sheen for a special issue of the New Statesman out on 25 March.
“What I would like to do is help on the policy side with the next Labour government,” he disclosed in a conversation over Zoom. “It’s got to be a platform that makes people think the world’s going to change, it’s just got to be the sort of change they’re not frightened of.”
In a wide-ranging interview, discussing British identity, the UK’s changing role in the world and Sheen’s three onscreen depictions of Blair, the former New Labour leader was asked whether he would serve a fourth term as prime minister. “No, I think the next Labour prime minister will be someone else, hopefully Keir,” he responded.
When pushed on whether he would return to British politics, he replied: “Let’s say I don’t think that route would be open to me, even if I wanted it. So it’s not something I think about at all.”
He then added, however, that he would like to help with policy. (See transcript below.)
The full interview with Tony Blair, which I moderated, will appear in the special issue of the New Statesman, guest edited by Sheen, on the theme of class, culture and national identity in Britain today. The magazine will feature contributions from, among others, Armando Iannucci, Gary Younge, Bernardine Evaristo, Andrew Marr and Ali Smith, as well as writers from A Writing Chance, a scheme to showcase new and aspiring storytellers from under-represented backgrounds.
Transcript:
Michael Sheen: Gladstone was a few years older than you when he formed his second government — second of four, as you know…
Tony Blair: (Laughs) Yeah, well, good for Gladstone! But no, I think the next Labour Prime Minister will be someone else, hopefully Keir.
MS: But then he did do four, so he was 82 by the time he did his fourth.
TB: Yeah, I know. Gladstone was an amazing man and how he came back, but I think politics was a little different then! (Laughs)
MS: Genuinely, you wouldn’t want to get back into that arena again in the same way as you were before? Because I know you are still in the arena, but is there any circumstances in which you could be drawn back in order to provide the kind of vision that you think needs to be there?
TB: Let’s say I don’t think that route would be open to me, even if I wanted it. So it’s not something I think about at all. But, you know, I’m very happy doing the work that I’m doing at the moment, and I find that very fulfilling. It’s taken us a long time to build this organisation that we have now, the Institute, and I think we can build it even bigger and that’s really my focus, to be honest.
What I would like to do is help on the policy side with the next Labour government, because I do think you do put your finger on a very important point: it’s got to be a platform that makes people think the world’s going to change, it’s just got to be the sort of change they’re not frightened of.
MS: I’ll keep my costume in the wardrobe.
TB: Just in case!
Why not?
The only ones who’d be against this are the lot who think Labour deserve to lose for dare trying to win over Tory voters. The ones who still think Tony, Labour’s most successful election winning machine in its history, is a ‘war criminal’.
Please do, Tony. You’re more than welcome back whenever you want.
Perfect person for this party of knob heads and frauds to take advice from so can’t say I care
Kinda cringe that many Labour supporters don’t realise how unpopular this guy is outside the party these days. He had some shine in the 90s, but that’s long gone.
“My advice is to be America’s bitch and start a pointless war with false evidence, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Well hey, it worked for me.” 🤷♂️
I mean… credit where credit is due his domestic policy wasn’t actually _that_ bad.
As long as they don’t allow him near anything to do with foreign policy this _could_ be quite good for the party.
They’ll probably fucking let him, quite possibly at the same time as talking about war crimes in Ukraine.
The last Labour party leader to win a general election is advising the current Labour party on winning a general election.
This sub
“Oh noes”
Fucking clown show in here
Tony Blair. A war criminal and progressive . He’s only popular on places like reddit.
Can we not have a re run of the new labour years. Sure, they did some ok stuff, in amongst some atrocious stuff. But we really need fundamental reform in this country.
A new electoral system so voting is fair and representation proportional. Reform or abolition of the Lords. Strict caps on the amount of money one person can donate to a party.
A new economy based on a more equal model. An end to austerity so we can actually invest in the future. Some kind of New Deal project for house building and green infrastructure.
I don’t want more tinkering around the edges, status quo management. We need an end to the neoliberal model.
If he’s around for a Labour govt, that is. It may be a long time
He was just lucky to be PM when the peace dividend from the end of the cold war came in and the north sea oil and gas was still flowing.
Did some OK things domestically but soiled his own record with his foreign policy and his money grubbing with murdering dictators in the decade after he left power.
Now he wants to be a respected elder statesman sitting on his ill-gotten millions?
*Fuck right off.*
It’s just hit me, Tony Blair is the Vince McMahon of British politics; a once massively dominant force who is now hopelessly out of touch with what his audience wants yet won’t do the decent thing and just retire.
Sounds like they need him, the labour party is in shambles
14 comments
Tony Blair wishes to advise the next Labour government on policy matters, he revealed in an interview with the actor Michael Sheen for a special issue of the New Statesman out on 25 March.
“What I would like to do is help on the policy side with the next Labour government,” he disclosed in a conversation over Zoom. “It’s got to be a platform that makes people think the world’s going to change, it’s just got to be the sort of change they’re not frightened of.”
In a wide-ranging interview, discussing British identity, the UK’s changing role in the world and Sheen’s three onscreen depictions of Blair, the former New Labour leader was asked whether he would serve a fourth term as prime minister. “No, I think the next Labour prime minister will be someone else, hopefully Keir,” he responded.
When pushed on whether he would return to British politics, he replied: “Let’s say I don’t think that route would be open to me, even if I wanted it. So it’s not something I think about at all.”
He then added, however, that he would like to help with policy. (See transcript below.)
The full interview with Tony Blair, which I moderated, will appear in the special issue of the New Statesman, guest edited by Sheen, on the theme of class, culture and national identity in Britain today. The magazine will feature contributions from, among others, Armando Iannucci, Gary Younge, Bernardine Evaristo, Andrew Marr and Ali Smith, as well as writers from A Writing Chance, a scheme to showcase new and aspiring storytellers from under-represented backgrounds.
Transcript:
Michael Sheen: Gladstone was a few years older than you when he formed his second government — second of four, as you know…
Tony Blair: (Laughs) Yeah, well, good for Gladstone! But no, I think the next Labour Prime Minister will be someone else, hopefully Keir.
MS: But then he did do four, so he was 82 by the time he did his fourth.
TB: Yeah, I know. Gladstone was an amazing man and how he came back, but I think politics was a little different then! (Laughs)
MS: Genuinely, you wouldn’t want to get back into that arena again in the same way as you were before? Because I know you are still in the arena, but is there any circumstances in which you could be drawn back in order to provide the kind of vision that you think needs to be there?
TB: Let’s say I don’t think that route would be open to me, even if I wanted it. So it’s not something I think about at all. But, you know, I’m very happy doing the work that I’m doing at the moment, and I find that very fulfilling. It’s taken us a long time to build this organisation that we have now, the Institute, and I think we can build it even bigger and that’s really my focus, to be honest.
What I would like to do is help on the policy side with the next Labour government, because I do think you do put your finger on a very important point: it’s got to be a platform that makes people think the world’s going to change, it’s just got to be the sort of change they’re not frightened of.
MS: I’ll keep my costume in the wardrobe.
TB: Just in case!
Why not?
The only ones who’d be against this are the lot who think Labour deserve to lose for dare trying to win over Tory voters. The ones who still think Tony, Labour’s most successful election winning machine in its history, is a ‘war criminal’.
Please do, Tony. You’re more than welcome back whenever you want.
Perfect person for this party of knob heads and frauds to take advice from so can’t say I care
Kinda cringe that many Labour supporters don’t realise how unpopular this guy is outside the party these days. He had some shine in the 90s, but that’s long gone.
“My advice is to be America’s bitch and start a pointless war with false evidence, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Well hey, it worked for me.” 🤷♂️
I mean… credit where credit is due his domestic policy wasn’t actually _that_ bad.
As long as they don’t allow him near anything to do with foreign policy this _could_ be quite good for the party.
They’ll probably fucking let him, quite possibly at the same time as talking about war crimes in Ukraine.
The last Labour party leader to win a general election is advising the current Labour party on winning a general election.
This sub
“Oh noes”
Fucking clown show in here
Tony Blair. A war criminal and progressive . He’s only popular on places like reddit.
Can we not have a re run of the new labour years. Sure, they did some ok stuff, in amongst some atrocious stuff. But we really need fundamental reform in this country.
A new electoral system so voting is fair and representation proportional. Reform or abolition of the Lords. Strict caps on the amount of money one person can donate to a party.
A new economy based on a more equal model. An end to austerity so we can actually invest in the future. Some kind of New Deal project for house building and green infrastructure.
I don’t want more tinkering around the edges, status quo management. We need an end to the neoliberal model.
If he’s around for a Labour govt, that is. It may be a long time
He was just lucky to be PM when the peace dividend from the end of the cold war came in and the north sea oil and gas was still flowing.
Did some OK things domestically but soiled his own record with his foreign policy and his money grubbing with murdering dictators in the decade after he left power.
Now he wants to be a respected elder statesman sitting on his ill-gotten millions?
*Fuck right off.*
It’s just hit me, Tony Blair is the Vince McMahon of British politics; a once massively dominant force who is now hopelessly out of touch with what his audience wants yet won’t do the decent thing and just retire.
Sounds like they need him, the labour party is in shambles