Former Prime Minister and integral part of New Labour, Tony Blair, has accused a 'debilitated Labour party' of facilitating a disastrous Brexit. In a recent speech, Blair urged anti-Brexit MPs to band together to block the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.
'Labour are inadequate opposition'
Blair, vehemently pro-Europe, stated that Labour is providing 'inadequate opposition' to Theresa May's Brexit plans. Addressing the press at Bloomberg, the former Prime Minister said: 'The current weakness of Labour is the facilitator of Theresa May's hard Brexit.
I hate to say it. Corbyn has not provided adequate opposition to parliament. He has been indecisive and uncommitted over key Brexit issues'. Blair continued, dismissing accusations that blocking Brexit would be undemocratic, arguing instead that when people realise the 'misery and pain' that Brexit would cause people would change their mind.
'Where is the pressure on the government and Theresa May? Why is there no interrogation of discourse? The pressure is only one way,' Blair stated. When asked if he was planning to use his anti-Brexit rhetoric to leverage his way back into politics, Blair said that he wouldn't be setting up a new party on central ground. Further, Blair claimed that the SNP's demands of Scottish independence had been given more credibility due to Westminister's refusal to consult the devolved nations over Brexit.
Blair urged remain supporters to 'rise up in defence of what we believe' before claiming that leave voters were not fully aware of the implications of Brexit. Naturally, such comments have drawn scorn from Westminster. An anonymous Conservative backbencher told the Guardian: 'Blair's attempts to hijack Brexit are a last ditch attempt to cling to relevancy.
The Labour party leader has supported Brexit, Blair is attempting to thwart democracy'.
Prime Minister Theresa May intends to trigger article 50 by the end of March, but Tony Blair believes that the British people should be given another chance to vote on whether the United Kingdom should leave the European Union when the final terms are agreed upon.