Party leaders are ‘peddling two sets of fantasies’, says ex-PM Blair

FORMER PRIME Minister Tony Blair has warned “a combination of anxiety over the Labour leadership and Brexit” is “tipping” voters in the North – who would not traditionally have voted Conservative – to change their mind.

Speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event yesterday, former Labour leader Mr Blair said voters should look at this election seat by seat, describing the General Election as “650 mini elections”.

But he said in “working class seats in the North, where a lot of people would never ever have thought of voting Conservative [...] a combination of anxiety over the Labour leadership and Brexit is tipping them towards that”.

Taking aim at both the main parties, Mr Blair said Mr Johnson and Mr Corbyn were “peddling two sets of fantasies; and both, as majority governments, pose a risk it would be unwise for the country to take”.

He said: “Both as majority governments pose a risk. It’s just that the chances I think of Labour doing that are – if the polls are right – negligible.

“I don’t think a majority government of either side is a good thing,” adding: “This is why I’m saying you have to unpick the knot and what people are thinking at the moment is if you pull the string hard enough you’ll untie the knot, but you won’t.”

On Labour’s manifesto, Mr Blair said while its aims were good, it would be “difficult” to achieve. He added: “I mean this should definitely be the agenda of any modern government. The problem is if you try unreconstructed, and at one time, to do all of those things listed in the manifesto it would be difficult.”