Blair claims Davidson’s exit could benefit Scottish Labour

POLITICS: Former prime minister says there is huge opportunity for party to help country return to ‘rational centre’

Former prime minister Tony Blair said he believes the country could still return to a “rational centre” to thwart the “divisiveness” of Brexit and separation.

Speaking in Edinburgh yesterday, Mr Blair said no deal Brexit was a threat to the stability of the Union and the prosperity of the country as a whole.

He said it would be used persuasively by the SNP to argue in favour of independence.

The last Labour politician to lead the party to general election victory, Mr Blair said: “The Labour Party has moved further to the left than at any other time.

“What all of this will mean is there will be a yearning, north and south of the border, for politics which is more rooted in the rational centre, less divided than the politics we have presently and sees the divide as much as a cultural divide as an economic one and tries to reach for a politics to unify.

“My belief is it will be clear over these next months there is a renewal for the centre ground of politics, in the UK and Scotland.

“With Ruth Davidson’s departure from Scottish politics, there is a very open space for the competition for that centre ground vote.

“There is a huge opportunity for Scottish Labour, if it is a party that celebrates the Union and recognises the UK to stay in Europe is part of sensible alliance building and reaches for a forward policy agenda.”

Mr Blair added he did not think it wise for Jeremy Corbyn to offer a section 30 order granting a second independence referendum in exchange for support in a government of national unity.

He said: “I don’t think Labour should give any indication at all it would be prepared to put the Union on the table as some sort of bargaining chip.

“It would be a major category error, both in principle and strategy. I would think the question of whether there should be a second referendum should be held separately.”

When asked if he intended to vote Labour at the next general election, Mr Blair said: “I don’t intend to vote for anyone else, but it is a struggle.

“I worry a lot about the direction of the party.

“I’ve found the debate and controversy regarding anti-Semitism extremely distressing and I think there is a sectarianism which has been brought into the Labour Party which is damaging.

“Despite all of the problems I vote Labour, I did in the most recent elections, but it is a struggle.”

Picture: PA. Former prime minister Tony Blair.