By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair has said his country is in a mess, accusing the Conservative Party of “taxing and spending” its way out of economic turmoil.
In an interview with Financial Times, Blair also credited Sir Keir Starmer with bringing his party back from “the brink of extinction”, stating that Keir would have to contend with a far more challenging situation than the one he (Blair) faced when he was in office in 1997 if he becomes next Prime Minister.
He said, “If Sir Keir Starmer wins the election, which I think he’s got a good chance of doing, he’ll be the sixth prime minister in eight years.
“That’s a country that’s in a mess. We are not in good shape.”
He described criticism of Sir Keir’s policy offering as too bland, saying was “nonsense”.
He urged the Conservative Party not equate “being radical with just taxing and spending”.
He added: “The Conservative Party has taxed and spent to the point where we’re in an economic crisis.
“The radical agenda today is all about understanding, mastering, harnessing the technological revolution – everything else is secondary to that.”
Blair who led the Labour government from 1997 to 2007, told the Financial Times that while he met Sir Keir “reasonably frequently”, he was “his own person” who had shown “agility and determination” in reshaping the party in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
Sir Keir has been open about seeking the advice of Sir Tony and Gordon Brown on moving into government.
