Tag: Tony Blair

• Thursday, November 8th 2018 - 08:33 UTC

  Blair calls for a second Brexit referendum: the great nations of Europe must stick together

  

  Leaving the European Union without a deal would be “absurd” and the whole process of Brexit can still be stopped, Tony Blair has claimed. The former prime minister said the British people should be given the chance to vote again on whether to remain in the EU because otherwise they faced either a “pointless” or a “painful” version of Brexit.

• Tuesday, September 18th 2018 - 08:38 UTC

  Growing demand for a second referendum on Brexit, but time is running out

  

  Calls for a second referendum on Brexit are mounting as Britain approaches the last six months before leaving the EU - but the sands of time could be running out for diehard Remainers. London Mayor Sadiq Khan became the latest big name to call for a vote, joining former prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major and celebrities like football star Gary Lineker.

• Wednesday, July 18th 2018 - 06:13 UTC

  Theresa May survives Tory pro-EU coup by six votes; Ex PMs Tony Blair and John Major call for second referendum

  

  British Prime Minister Theresa May has narrowly survived another crunch Brexit vote in parliament, as she struggles to unify her divided party around her strategy for leaving the European Union.

• Tuesday, January 9th 2018 - 09:34 UTC

  Juncker convinced Brexit will happen, but is concerned about budget shortfall

  

  European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker says he believes Brexit will go ahead and the EU should tackle its looming budget shortfall. “Don't believe those who say that it's not going to happen and that people in the UK have realized their error... I don't think that's going to be the case,” he told a Brussels conference.

• Friday, January 5th 2018 - 10:50 UTC

  Blair blasts Labour's “timidity” on a Brexit designed by the “Tory right”

  

  Ex Labour prime minister Tony Blair has attacked Labor's “timidity” on Brexit, saying it would deliver a departure from the EU designed by the “Tory right”. He urged the party he once led to “nail” the “myths” of the Brexit campaign - and fight for the rights of voters to “think again” about leaving. He said 2018 would be the year the fate of Britain would be decided.

• Monday, December 4th 2017 - 08:56 UTC

  Hard Brexit puts at risk the Good Friday Agreement, Tony Blair tells BBC

  

  The Good Friday Agreement is “at risk because of Brexit” after the UK leaves the EU, former prime minister Tony Blair has told the BBC. UK and Irish membership of the EU was “central” to the 1998 deal, he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend. Free movement on the border had been key to reaching an agreement, he said.

• Monday, September 11th 2017 - 18:18 UTC

  Tony Blair calls for introduction of new immigration policy that “reasserts control”

  

  Ex prime minister Tony Blair has called on the UK government to introduce a new immigration policy which “reasserts control”. When he was prime minister, Mr. Blair's government - unlike most EU countries - did not apply transitional controls on migrants from eastern Europe, but in a Sunday Times article he said “times were different”.

• Monday, July 24th 2017 - 06:36 UTC

  Corbyn, “the greatest rebel ever”, invited to avoid de-selection of MPs

  

  A former Labour chief whip has urged Jeremy Corbyn to “reflect” on Tony Blair's approach when party leader by ruling out the de-selection of MPs. Baroness Hilary Armstrong told the BBC Mr Corbyn was “the greatest rebel ever” as a backbencher but Mr Blair was reluctant to discipline him. She said the then prime minister felt that Labour was “a broad church”.

• Monday, July 17th 2017 - 05:26 UTC

  Tony Blair does not rule out a Jeremy Corbyn win on a “far Left program”

  

  Tony Blair says he now accepts Jeremy Corbyn could become prime minister. The ex-PM told BBC Newsnight that a year ago he would have said it was impossible for the left-wing Labour leader to win. But he added: “There's been so many political upsets, it's possible Jeremy Corbyn could become prime minister and Labour could win on that program.”

• Saturday, July 15th 2017 - 07:42 UTC

  Blair argues Brussels leaders willing to compromise to avoid UK leaving Europe

  

  Tony Blair believes European leaders would be willing to tighten up the free movement of people as a way to avoid Britain leaving the EU. The UK former prime minister suggested the “will of the people” may be changing as the difficulties of Brexit negotiations become apparent and called for a “proper debate” over the different options, including remaining in a reformed EU.