Just in case you hadn’t heard, Blair wants you to know that Brexit is bad

Tony Blair thinks Brexit is bad. You may have heard. It’s all he ever talks about. Brexit is bad. Brexit is bad. He’s telling anyone who will listen – and, for that matter, anyone who won’t. The latter camp appears to be significantly larger than the former, but, undeterred, Mr Blair soldiers on.

Brexit is bad. Brexit is bad.

He says it on the radio. He says it on TV. He says it to think tanks and at conferences, in op-eds and on panels.

He says it in Britain, and he says it in Brussels. He probably says it at bus stops, in the post office, and at the deli counter in Waitrose. He’s saying it to everyone. Absolutely everyone.

“Look, all I’m trying to get across to you is: the people must be allowed to make the final decision on the deal – or, if they prefer, to remain.”

At the third stroke, the time will be 12.46 and 10 seconds.

“Sure, I get that. Time is short. But listen. The present impasse is imperilling our economy, our international standing and our alliances.”

At the third stroke, the time will be 12.46 and 20 seconds.

“If you’ll just let me finish. The fact of the matter is, crashing out with no agreement would...”

Yesterday, after telling listeners of the Today programme that Brexit was bad, Mr Blair went to Chatham House in London, where he’d been invited to deliver a lecture.

Officially it was about globalisation, but mainly it was about Brexit being bad. He was sorry to keep going on like this, really he was, but the situation was so grave, he simply had no choice. “I’m afraid,” he said, “I get bored of people telling me they’re bored of it.”

His audience tittered politely.

With that familiar expression of pained reasonableness – the one that makes him look as if he’s trying in vain to pacify a drunk – he said he’d “never been more worried about the future of our country”. The rest of the world, he sighed, pitied Britain for its folly (“Nobody’s saying, ‘That’s a really wise thing you guys have done.’ Nobody’s saying that!”).

All the same, he urged his fellow Remainers not to lose heart, because, even this late in the day, Brexit could yet be stopped. Or at least delayed.

It has to be said: he didn’t sound all that hopeful. But you can be sure he won’t give up. Mr Blair is going to keep on plugging away, telling the nation again and again that Brexit is bad, until finally, if only out of exhaustion, the nation relents.

“And so, to conclude: the challenge is urgent – and the danger is real. We are drifting towards March 2019 with no clear negotiating position.”

“Look, mate, are you going to pay for these sausages, or not? Come on, I’ve got a queue of customers here.”