‘Burka ban is about CCTV’

TONY BLAIR has expressed his increased desire for a return to front-line politics, claiming Britain is being “hijacked” by Brexit backers.

The former Prime Minister acknowledged he “agrees with a lot” of what Theresa May says, including on an energy price cap, although he warned she is not being reasonable when it comes to Britain’s departure from the European Union.

Mr Blair said he “almost feels motivated to go right back into it”, although he sought to focus on how he wants to try to influence the election debate on Brexit.

He argued the issue was “bigger than party allegiance” at the June 8 vote, adding voters should find out where candidates stand on it.

Mr Blair, who said he will vote Labour, added: “I feel for the first time since I first came into politics, I look at the British political scene at the moment and I actually almost feel motivated to go right back into it.

“I just feel we’re allowing ourselves to be hijacked by what is actually quite a small group of people with a very strong ideology.

“Someone like Theresa May, you look at her and she’s very sensible, very solid, she’s a perfectly decent person, I agree with a lot of what she says – what she says about energy costs today, most people would say ‘fair enough’.

“But on this issue, which is the biggest issue of our time and which will have a dramatic impact on our future, on our economy, on our living standards and on the younger people of this country, on this issue she’s not reasonable.”

However, Mr Blair would not say who he thought would be best-suited as Prime Minister. PAUL NUTTALL has denied Ukip’s reversal on pushing for a public burka ban alongside proposals against Sharia law amount to an “attack” on Muslims.

The Ukip leader claimed a need to ease security fears and improve social integration were behind the ideas to be included in his party’s general election manifesto.

The MEP said in 2013 that the party would not pursue a ban against face-covering veils, such as a burka.

But yesterday he said: “We have a heightened security risk at the moment and for CCTV to be effective you need to see people’s faces.”