It’s a bit me like me having come in as leader of the Labour party and then suddenly deciding I’ve become a Conservative.
But many people hold the view that Blair did just that:
Tony Blair on how the whole debate around a Brexit deal has changed since the referendum:
“It’s a bit like me having come in as leader of the Labour Party and then decided I’m a Conservative.”
Err…#Marr
— Evolve Politics (@evolvepolitics) November 25, 2018
Did Tony Blair really say it was 'like me saying I was Labour and then suddenly becoming a Conservative?' I wasn't listening properly. If he did say that it's hilarious because that's exactly what happened. 😂 #marr
— Chelley Ryan #WeAreCollective #VoteCorbyn (@chelleryn99) November 25, 2018
Tony Blair, when arguing for a 2nd referendum: 'It's also like me becoming Leader of the Labour Party and then deciding I'm a Conservative.' I feel like he may wish to reconsider his analogy! #Marr
— Jonathan D. Beer – At Glasgow WorldCon! (@jonathandbeer) November 25, 2018
It’s not just Labour supporters that view Blair as Conservative-leaning. When asked what her greatest achievement was, Margaret Thatcher famously said:
Tony Blair and New Labour.
Blair carried on the Thatcherite consensus of privatisation and war. As Richard Seymour notes in the Guardian:
New Labour had made electoral capital out of the Tories’ unpopularity over privatisation, but only pledged to stop the sell-off of air traffic control. Even this minor promise was betrayed.
“[May] is a decent person”
On the Andrew Marr show, Blair continued his alignment with Conservative politics. The former prime minister said he had “a lot of respect” for May and that:
she’s shown resilience… a degree of courage… and you know she’s a decent person
On social media, viewers again weren’t impressed:
Hearing Tony Blair call Theresa May a decent person is why Jeremy Corbyn had to happen. A decent person doesn't inflict austerity on the poor while giving tax breaks to billionaires. #marr
— Frank Owen's Legendary Paintbrush🥀🇵🇸🇾🇪 (@OwenPaintbrush) November 25, 2018
Tony Blair says he "admires" Theresa May, a politician who sent 'Go Home' vans to proudly mixed communities, whipped up lies and bigotry about migrants, deported gay refugees to countries where their lives are at risk, and has helped plunge Britain into turmoil. Yuck.
— Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) November 25, 2018
Blair thinks May, the architect of the hostile environment, the Go Home vans and the Windrush scandal, is "a decent person". #Marr
— Briefcase Michael (@BriefcaseMike) November 25, 2018
YouGov has found that almost 60% of British people have a negative view of the former Labour leader. While many are divided over Brexit, people are seemingly united in their dislike of Blair.
Featured image via Jeane Elaine Grey/ YouTube
