LONDON: Former British prime minister Tony Blair on Monday announced a return to domestic politics to fight Brexit, while acknowledging he remains a divisive figure whose contribution may not be welcomed.
The former Labour leader will not be standing in the June 8 general election, but said he wanted to get his “hands dirty” and help shape the debate as Britain prepares to enter negotiations on leaving the EU.
Blair won a record three elections as Labour prime minister and spent 10 years in Downing Street from May 2, 1997 to 2007.
But his final years in office were marred by his decision to join the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq — a legacy he cannot shake off.
“I know the moment I stick my head out the door I’ll get a bucket of wotsit poured all over me, but I really do feel passionate about this,” Blair told the Daily Mirror tabloid.
“I don’t want to be in the situation where we pass through this moment of history and I hadn’t said anything because that would mean I didn’t care about this country. I do.”
He said his goal was not to defy last year’s referendum vote in favour of Brexit, but that voters should be given a chance to change their mind once the final EU exit deal becomes clear.
Leaving the European single market and seeking a free trade agreement, as Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May intends, would be “relegating ourselves” from the top in the international order.
“This Brexit thing has given me a direct motivation to get more involved in the politics,” the 63-year-old said.
“You need to get your hands dirty and I will.”
It remains unclear exactly what Blair intends to do, or how helpful his intervention would be.
In the Labour Party, now led by leftist Jeremy Corbyn, the term “Blairite” — to describe Blair’s centrist, business-friendly policies — is widely used as an insult.
Among the public, 74 per cent of people have an unfavourable view of Blair, according to a YouGov survey published in November. — AFP
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