Next Labour leader should ‘focus on elections, not Twitter’, insists Blair

TONY Blair has urged Labour leadership candidates to concentrate on winning elections rather than coming up with ways to “trend on Twitter”.

The former Prime Minister also told the three remaining hopefuls they should not engage in a “culture war” over transgender rights by signing pledges on the issue, and admitted any one of them would be a “significant improvement on Jeremy Corbyn”.

Speaking at an event in London, Blair vowed to keep his own preferred candidate close to his chest out of fear of doing them “damage”.

In his strongest intervention yet in the race to succeed Mr Corbyn, the former leader said the party would need a “head to toe renewal” to win power again.

He said: “We can be clear and radical and still in the centre.”

Touching on a host of topics during a session to mark Labour’s 120th anniversary, he dismissed talk of Labour campaigning to rejoin the European Union, and called for a “progressive coalition” with liberal parties.

Asked about the leadership contest, Mr Blair said that whoever wins the race out of shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir, Lisa Nandy and shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-bailey would be a “significant improvement” on the outgoing Mr Corbyn.

Mr Blair said: “I don’t want to damage anyone by supporting them so I have made up my mind that I am not going to give an opinion on which candidate.

“I think whatever happens there is going to be a significant improvement.”

The Remain-backer said the next leader should not campaign to rejoin the EU and predicted Boris Johnson was facing “very tough” trade talks with Brussels.

“No, you just can’t, I’m afraid,” he said, when asked about a bid to reconcile with the bloc.

“In the long term, who knows? The Tories will own Brexit whatever happens and I think you’ve got to give it a chance to be done.

“If the Government really wants to diverge significantly from European regulation, then I think they will have a very tough negotiation.”

Meanwhile, Lisa Nandy said she would be content with taking up a place in the opposition front bench should he bid for leadership not succeed.

The MP for Wigan said she would be “proud” to serve on the opposition front benches for either one of her two rivals Sir Keir Starmer or Rebecca Long Bailey.

Voting for the contest is due to begin tomorrow.

She said: “What you don’t actually realise is we are quite good mates behind the scenes, there’s a camaraderie that comes from being put through this process.

“We’re the only people who understand how tough it is and, yes, I’d be proud to serve in their shadow cabinets.”

It comes after Sir Keir refused to commit to having leadership opponents in his shadow cabinet if he replaces Jeremy Corbyn.