Tony Blair warns British voters: time is running out to stop Brexit folly

[webfact]

Tony Blair warns British voters: time is running out to stop Brexit folly

By Guy Faulconbridge

 

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair delivers a keynote speech at a pro-Europe event in London, Britain, February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday warned voters that time was running out to reverse Brexit, a folly he said would torpedo Britain's remaining clout and be regretted for generations to come.

 

More than a year and a half since the 2016 Brexit vote, the United Kingdom remains deeply divided over the planned EU exit that Prime Minister Theresa May says will take place on March 29, 2019.

 

Both opponents and supporters of Brexit agree that the divorce is Britain's most significant geopolitical move since World War Two, though they cast vastly different futures for the $2.5 trillion UK economy and its relation with the world's biggest trading bloc.

 

Blair, Labour prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said Britain would be poorer, weaker and warned that May had solved none of the problems over Northern Ireland's post-Brexit status.

 

"We are making an error the contemporary world cannot understand and the generations of the future will not forgive," Blair said in an article published on his website on Thursday.

 

"2018 will be the last chance to secure a say on whether the new relationship proposed with Europe is better than the existing one," Blair, 64, said.

 

Leaving the European Union was once far-fetched: just over 15 years ago, British leaders such as Blair were arguing about when to join the euro, and talk of an EU exit was the reserve of sceptics on the fringes of both major parties.

 

But the turmoil of the euro zone crisis, fears in Britain about immigration and a series of miscalculations by former Prime Minister David Cameron prompted the United Kingdom to vote 52 to 48 percent for Brexit in a June 2016 referendum.

 

Blair has repeatedly called for reversing Brexit, echoing other opponents of Brexit such as French President Emmanuel Macron and billionaire investor George Soros, who have suggested that Britain could still change its mind.

 

So far, opinion polls show little sign of a change of heart and it is unclear how Brexit could be stopped if both major political parties officially support the divorce.

 

Half of Britons support a second vote on whether to leave the European Union and a majority think the government may be paying too much money to the EU to open the way to trade talks, according to an opinion poll published last month.

 

Supporters of Brexit dismissed Blair and said he was undermining both the British negotiation and the will of the people.

 

"Blair and his elitist gang are damaging our negotiating strength, thus damaging our national interest by their continuing efforts to undermine democracy," said Richard Tice, who helped found one of the two Leave campaign groups.

 

"History will not forgive them," Tice told Reuters.

 

Blair is unpopular in Britain for his decision to back then-U.S. President George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq and the justification he used for going into a war that cost the deaths of 150,000 Iraqi civilians and 179 British soldiers.

 

But he has become increasingly outspoken about Brexit.

 

He implored his Labour Party, which is now led by socialist Jeremy Corbyn, to join the fight to stop Brexit.

 

"Make Brexit the Tory Brexit. Make them own it 100 percent," Blair said. "If Labour continues to go along with Brexit and insists on leaving the Single Market, the handmaiden of Brexit will have been the timidity of Labour."

 

(Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-04

[colinneil]

Tony Blair wants to shut up, he did enough damage to the UK when he was PM.  No he is trying to do the same.  Britain out of the EU he will probably lose out on a bit of cash.

[Thaiwrath]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

be regretted for generations to come.

Was he talking about his tenure, when he mumbled these words ?

[Laughing Gravy]

The fake, lying politician that ruined the Labour party and forged even greater ties with the UK and the EU through the backdoor, is harping more trash. he should stick to giving speeches in the Middle East and Israel where everyone knows he is a liar. I hope one day he is held to account and stands in the Hague where he belongs. Nobody I know listens to him as his credibility as a politician and of a empathetic human being is non existent.

[smedly]

46 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Tony Blair wants to shut up, he did enough damage to the UK when he was PM.  No he is trying to do the same.  Britain out of the EU he will probably lose out on a bit of cash.

100% agree

 

how this man cannot see how much hate exists towards him is beyond me, he would have been better fading away and not drawing attention, he should be in jail 

 

wonder who is sponsoring his anti brexit rhetoric

[boomerangutang]

I'm in a minority, and am not a Brit, but I agree with Blair.

[Orton Rd]

Too late Blair, the vote was 18 months ago. 

[Orton Rd]

23 minutes ago, smedly said:

100% agree

 

how this man cannot see how much hate exists towards him is beyond me, he would have been better fading away and not drawing attention, he should be in jail 

 

wonder who is sponsoring his anti brexit rhetoric

went into a bookshop at home in UK, biog of Blair was on the highest shelf not in the biog section. When I asked why the owner said he had to put it up there to stop people moving it into the horror section. I said I might buy it and burn it, he agreed that was a good idea!

[billd766]

What a nasty, sad, money grubbing little man Tony Blair is.

 

Does he not realise how unpoular he is, and that nobody really cares what he thinks anymore?

[oldhippy]

tony-blair-warns-british-voters-time-is-running-out-to-stop-brexit-folly

 

If British voters had any sense they would never have voted for Blair or brexit.  If the Labour party had any sense they would have kicked out Blair a long time ago.

 

If Blair is against brexit, that may be a reason - the ONLY reason - to support brexit.  Who needs enemies, with friends like Blair?

 

Unlike other fools, such as Cameron and  May, he has blood on his hands.  Even more than Thatcher Belgrano.  Let him get some karma at Den Haag!

 

 

 

 

[sanemax]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Half of Britons support a second vote on whether to leave the European Union

I wonder whether the people who wanted to stay in Europe, now want a second referendum ?

Is it the people who lost the referendum who want to vote again ? 

[oldhippy]

3 minutes ago, sanemax said:

I wonder whether the people who wanted to stay in Europe, now want a second referendum ?

Is it the people who lost the referendum who want to vote again ? 

Democracy Africa style:

If 50% +1 have a big nose, and 50% -1 have a small nose, the small nosed ones will suffer, generation after generation.

Is that the democracy you want for the UK?

(my example is not exagerated - just look at Ruanda, UK, Burundi, US, and similar countries ).

 

 

[sanemax]

7 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Democracy Africa style:

If 50% +1 have a big nose, and 50% -1 have a small nose, the small nosed ones will suffer, generation after generation.

Is that the democracy you want for the UK?

(my example is not exagerated - just look at Ruanda, UK, Burundi, US, and similar countries ).

 

Errmmmm, well , errrr................ Eh ?

Best we just let the Africans get on with their big/small nose voting and we shouldn't interfere

[Sir Dude]

Maybe Tony has been listening to his wife's pillow talk too much the last few years. Also, he should be aware that extreme socialist Corbyn and his henchmen are no friend of Europe or it's vision, which is probably why they are so timid on the subject...they want out too.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Sir Dude

[vogie]

37 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

tony-blair-warns-british-voters-time-is-running-out-to-stop-brexit-folly

 

If British voters had any sense they would never have voted for Blair or brexit.  If the Labour party had any sense they would have kicked out Blair a long time ago.

 

If Blair is against brexit, that may be a reason - the ONLY reason - to support brexit.  Who needs enemies, with friends like Blair?

 

Unlike other fools, such as Cameron and  May, he has blood on his hands.  Even more than Thatcher Belgrano.  Let him get some karma at Den Haag!

 

 

 

 

So you're saying that the British have no sense, that just about sums you up.

[oldhippy]

14 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Errmmmm, well , errrr................ Eh ?

Best we just let the Africans get on with their big/small nose voting and we shouldn't interfere

Yes, but we should not imitate them

 

[sanemax]

Just now, oldhippy said:

Yes, but we should not imitate them

 

We should just accept our noses the way they are , if some people want plastic surgery to change their nose size , they should be allowed to do it, as long as they pay for it themselves and dont use tax payers money

[oldhippy]

13 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

Maybe Tony has been listening to his wife's pillow talk too much the last few years. Also, he should be aware that extreme socialist Corbyn and his henchmen are no friend of Europe or it's vision, which is probably why they are so timid on the subject...they want out too.

Europe started as a socialist project (peace, alle menschen werden bruder), but it has been taken over by the neo liberals (money money money) and bureaucRats (power power power)...

[oldhippy]

5 minutes ago, sanemax said:

We should just accept our noses the way they are , if some people want plastic surgery to change their nose size , they should be allowed to do it, as long as they pay for it themselves and dont use tax payers money

I sincerely doubt that you understood my post about democracy.

Or, more likely, you are trolling bricklayers style.

 

[dick dasterdly]

Blair is loathed by pretty much everyone.

 

I'm at a loss to understand why he's so deluded to believe that he's still respected and anyone cares about his opinions....

 

It would be kind to leave him to his own fantasies as to how people respect his opinion - but for some reason even remain media make the mistake of reporting his opinions .

[billd766]

3 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Blair is loathed by pretty much everyone.

 

I'm at a loss to understand why he's so deluded to believe that he's still respected and anyone cares about his opinions....

 

It would be kind to leave him to his own fantasies as to how people respect his opinion - but for some reason even remain media make the mistake of reporting his opinions .

 

Even the BBC News today.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-42558162

[dick dasterdly]

11 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Europe started as a socialist project (peace, alle menschen werden bruder), but it has been taken over by the neo liberals (money money money) and bureaucRats (power power power)...

Much as I'd like to agree with all of your post, I can't.

 

The various food mountains only benefited a few, whilst increasing prices for the EU consumer.

 

But I agree with the rest.

Edited January 4, 2018 by dick dasterdly

[JonnyF]

The war criminal ignoring the wishes of the people again, just as he did when he took us to war to find those weapons of mass destruction that never existed.

 

Shame on this fool. He should be in jail for all the lives lost in that pointless invasion.

 

 

[oldhippy]

7 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The war criminal ignoring the wishes of the people again, just as he did when he took us to war to find those weapons of mass destruction that never existed.

 

Shame on this fool. He should be in jail for all the lives lost in that pointless invasion.

 

 

.....and for the civilian victims in that part of the world, up till today..../ and for causing the refugee crisis that was one of the main reasons for the brexit vote.

[55Jay]

Obama had some good Brexit advice for Britons.  Blair should have asked him to fly over for a cameo. 

 

[dick dasterdly]

Meanwhile, we can all enjoy the spectacle of tony blair thinking that his opinion is respected, important and does anything other than detract from his cause .

[55Jay]

Didn't he wind up as a peace envoy of some kind for the middle east? 

 

Wonder how that's going?

[dick dasterdly]

15 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

The war criminal ignoring the wishes of the people again, just as he did when he took us to war to find those weapons of mass destruction that never existed.

 

Shame on this fool. He should be in jail for all the lives lost in that pointless invasion.

 

 

To be fair, quite a few intellectually challenged believed Blair's lies about 'weapons of mass destruction'.....

[oldhippy]

4 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Obama had some good Brexit advice for Britons.  Blair should have asked him to fly over for a cameo. 

 

Blair was Bush's lapdog, not Obama's.

Maybe because Obama is a social democrat, while Blair....euhhhh....

[Bluespunk]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"We are making an error the contemporary world cannot understand and the generations of the future will not forgive," Blair said in an article published on his website on Thursday.

He’s not wrong, but the brexiteers have made their choice 

 

It’s too much to hope for another vote and the uk will face the consequences of the vote. 

 

Good to see voices (even if it is Blair’s) still arguing their case, though. 

 

Sign of a healthy democracy. 

Edited January 4, 2018 by Bluespunk