Was Blair to Blame for Brexit? | Alastair Campbell meets Beth Rigby (Part 1)

The Rest is Politics star and political strategist joins us to confront policies that serve the interests of a privileged few, and answer the question so many of us want answered: ‘But what can I do?’
Our politics is a mess. We have leaders who can’t or shouldn’t be allowed to lead. We endure governments that lie and seek to undermine our democratic values. It’s no surprise that so many of us feel frustrated. But what can we, as individuals, actually do about it?
It’s a question regularly posed to Alastair Campbell, not least in reaction to The Rest is Politics, the chart-topping podcast he presents with former Tory Cabinet minister Rory Stewart. His answer, typically, is forthright and impassioned. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. If we think things need to change, then we need to change them, and that means getting involved.
Live on stage in London, he will teach us how we can develop our skills of advocacy and persuasion. Drawing on his long experience, he will offer practical tips for developing confidence, coping with setbacks, and leading a team: in short, a masterclass in becoming a political player. It’s an unmissable event for anyone who wants to make a difference.
Alastair Campbell was official spokesman and director of communications and strategy in Tony Blair’s government from 1994 to 2003. He continued to act as an advisor to the Labour Party during subsequent election campaigns. A consultant writer, strategist and broadcaster, he is still engaged in politics in Britain and overseas. He is also a leading advocate in the field of mental health, and co-presenter of the UK’s most popular podcast of 2022, The Rest Is Politics. Campbell’s first book, The Blair Years, was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. He has since published eight volumes of diaries, a book on the Northern Ireland peace process, four novels, two memoirs on living with depression, including the bestseller Living Better, and Winners, which also went straight to Number One in the Sunday Times charts.
Beth Rigby has worked as a political journalist for over a decade, covering four general elections, the Scottish independence and EU referendums, all the twists and turns of Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the recent run of Conservative prime ministers. Beth also hosts a flagship interview show for Sky News, interviewing big names from all walks of life, from leading politicians such as Hillary Clinton, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to prominent figures in our national life from actor Emma Thompson to Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. She also hosts a weekly podcast, Beth Rigby Interviews. Before joining Sky, Beth worked as a newspaper journalist for nearly two decades at The Times and Financial Times, where she held a variety of positions including media editor, deputy political editor and consumer industries editor.

[@barrywalsh7926]

Yes Alastair, alllowing in millions did "address some of these labour market issues", but to the benefit of employers, not British workers, who saw their wages compressed. And this for a "Labour" Government?

[@DJWESG1]

Thing is, he knew rhey were mostly conservstives and antisocialists cherry picked from countries with 90% religious beleifs.. absolutely scandalous imo

[@barbarahutchinson9506]

.

[@xensonar9652]

The blame should be placed squarely on David Cameron's shoulders.

[@lucastaylor2321]

I disagree. Blair should’ve kept his nose out of the Brexit debate. If he backs “remain” then it must be the wrong thing to do.

[@pakelly99]

@@lucastaylor2321 a growth level at worst in G7 and worse even than sanctioned russia, nurses relying on foodbanks, and 3.7bn in corrupt ppe contracts would care to differ with you on that, tovarich.

[@ferdia1224]

@@lucastaylor2321 No, there is enough information in the public domain to place the majority of the blame on David Cameron. David Cameron repeatedly insisted on going to the electorate with a vote (scottish independence, brexit etc) he was over confident and generations of english people are now going to have suffer for his overinflated risk taking and ego. The fact that no party championed brexit is not relevant. It was Cameron that pushed ahead with the brexit question and now here we are. If you want to blame Blair for anything you can blame him for war crimes, easy target in that regard, but he is not to blame for brexit.

[@lucastaylor2321]

@@ferdia1224 😴 😴 😴 Na sorry.. if Bliar can lie about the reasoning for war then he is discredited in everything else!! David Cameron is unpopular yes.. but he’s not as HATED as Blair.. nationally & internationally hated.

[@bonariablackie4047]

@@lucastaylor2321 I backed remain and it was absolutely the RIGHT thing to have done. I am still awaiting a single benefit of Brexit.

[@salmonesque]

What a terrible interviewer Rigby is. Twice, when things were getting interesting, she changed the subject instead of letting Campbell continue on how 'Britain had fallen such victim to populism' and the media 'platforming' Johnson. The British media is complicit AF in the state of the UK right now.

[@zorrodm]

The definition of populism I go with is "a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups." By that definition, populism strives to help the ordinary people of the UK. I'm an ordinary person in the UK. I'm glad the UK government is striving to help my family and I.

[@FixUp.LookSharp]

​@@zorrodm which UK gov is this then? Ah you mean New Labour 3 terms of Tony & Gordon duo. Well you are right it is exceptional the list of good things they achieved for British citizens. I've read them & I remember. Actually the good list is about 500% as many things as the current 13 yr gov, and the things on their list are a tad pathetic in comparison.

[@zorrodm]

@Ryan I disagree. New Labour unnecessarily massacred thousands of innocent people in the Middle East. This led to massive terrorist attacks on ordinary people in the UK such as the London Underground bombing. As an ordinary person in the UK, I'm glad the current UK government did not massacre thousands of innocent people in the Middle East, which makes my family and I less at risk from massive terrorist attacks in the UK.

[@passenger62]

Do you mean 'Should Blair take more of the blame for Brexit (than Farage, Johnson, Rees-Mogg, Gove, the ERG, The Telegraph, The Express, The Mail, The BBC, David Cameron)?'

[@georgearmstrong4731]

Obviously not

[@audreymcgready4329]

The ERG. And many more.

[@davidpryle3935]

Undoubtedly, the decision in 2004 to allow free movement of labour from the new EU accession states, where wages were a fraction of British wages, was viewed by the working class as an attack on them. I would certainly trace Brexit back to this decision. There had always been Euro sceptics, but the difference now was, the working class had the numbers.

[@tonyb9735]

Most people think the BBC was biased against their own particular viewpoint, which only goes to show what a great job they did. However, I am a staunch remainer and I can see that the BBC was always squarely anti-brexit even though they were required by their mandate to give more-or-less equal representation to both sides of the argument. After Johnson became PM the Tories started to manipulate the BBC by threatening their funding, parachuting political appointments in to the top jobs at the corporation the BBC became more compliant, but make no mistake, the blame for that lies with the Tories and not the BBC.

[@passenger62]

@@davidpryle3935 I'm sure this was a factor. There were many and varied reasons for the success of the leave campaign. Maybe the biggest was voter apathy.

[@BiggusDiggusable]

I am not a Blair fan at all but it is a bit much to blame Brexit on him.

[@pete_lind]

Does not take several episodes to debate this , its over in 1 min , Cameron was the one who organized the referendum in 2016 , Tony Blair was PM 1997 - 2007 . Or are they going to claim that Cameron had no control over Tory MPs and it was Blair that used his jedi mind tricks . Just like what brexiteers claimed happened with every vote in Westminster , when UK was in EU , Germans and French come and lock ALL UK MPs in dark room and vote for them and no one notices it ever .

[@DJWESG1]

He implemented too many tory ideas and embraced too many of their talking points. He himself a religious extremist who lied to the people telling us 'we don't do god', a few short years later he's activly engaged in the NWO with Bush fighting holy wars and implementing a faith agenda in the uk designed specifically to replace lefties with religious ppl and force them to religious charities via welfare cuts and food banks. Look it all up .

[@qeitkas594]

The last option they have. Blame it all on Blair and the Iraq war. That will teach them. And these thoughts were sitting the whole weekend in her head? I think it is about time for Mrs Rigby to shift gears and become a more to the point instead of bringing up these far fetched ideas.

[@paulies5407]

It's simple really. Iraq = rise of ISIS = refugee crisis = terrorism. To pretend that didn't have no part to play in Brexit is delusional.

[@davidpryle3935]

The Labour government’s decision in 2004 to allow free movement of labour immediately, from the new EU accession states, undoubtedly was the start of what came to be known as Brexit. The working class were more or less indifferent to the EU, up to that point. After that, they became actively hostile to the EU.

[@georgearmstrong4731]

I'd probably go for Cameron, Johnson and Farage a head of Blair

[@WilkinsMichael]

For starters, Blair isn't number 4 either, not even close.

[@aardjazz]

indeed, maybe austerity had a bit to do with discontent?

[@danielwebb8402]

​@@aardjazz Define austerity. "Public sector a greater % of gdp every single year since 2010 than any single year from 97-07"? Not really austere.

[@bryangeake5826]

@@danielwebb8402 Pushing up pension age to 67, in real terms running down the police, NHS and other services, and the axing of others like Sure Start, regional planning tragets scrapped and the market (donor class eg volume house builders) allowed to over expoilt cheap labour either EU or UK in origin, by not enforceing a mininum wage policy properly! All desinged to shrink the state and benefit the top 20-30%. That's the Tory way!

[@aardjazz]

@@danielwebb8402 eh? public sector borrowing shot up with the crash and decreased every year since: www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/bulletins/publicsectorfinances/june2021

[@mwnciboo]

Alistair Campbell - talking about Post Truth.... That is some Gas Lighting right there

[@John-se7rc]

No , but the tories are responsible for the deaths of ten's of thousands of elderly people in care homes.

[@esseker6320]

And over 180,000 disabled people.

[@Gizo02]

During the 2015 GE, Blair gave a speech warning about what would happen if the Tories won, with the EU membership issue consuming British politics and other important issues getting completely sidelined. He wasn’t wrong there.

[@DJWESG1]

Tony said lots of things over the years.. this one time he said 'everyone has a little policeman inside they're heads' when he needed to cut police funding.. Another time he said 'we don't do god', later he joined in a holy war and started blaming atheists for all the worlds woes. Some of his best quotes can be found just b4 he was elected in 97, he wrote many op eds and articles to win 'hearts and minds' at the time, but by 2003 and the need to be reelected he done a 180 on nearly everything.

[@danielwebb8402]

That could have been resolved by 90% of the 48% accepting the result of the referendum. Believing it should be fully implemented as they believe in democracy and are mentally mature enough to cope with votes they don't win. Alas

[@pierreweinzweig8591]

Heseltine said the same

[@stuartnoyes2615]

There are no more important issues than how this country is governed and who controls it.

[@jamesdobson7052]

@@DJWESG1it was Campbell who said ‘we don’t do God’ in advisory response to Blair saying he did. Campbell thought it politically damaging for his boss to say

[@frazermountford]

I would argue that in the Blair era we didn’t put enough balance on promoting the benefits of the EU to our own citizens and working closer with our MEPs. So the whole EU Immigration thing came in and all we heard was what benefit the UK had on other EU citizens That was the same for the debate on joining the Euro, there was no clear benefits given to us apart from meaningless economic tests. Because we have never really been able to practice properly what benefits the EU has given to us, (which is clear now we have left) its why the remain campaign failed

[@Rob1nson]

Two people who are completely out of touch…Campbell is particularly stuck with his own bias and stupidity

[@justinneill5003]

Absolutely. The level of ignorance amongst the public regarding the constitution and democratic processes of the EU was staggering; relatively few people could even have told you who their MEP was, let alone exercised their right to vote for one in European elections. That ignorance left the field wide open for Brexiteers to exploit, spreading lies about the “unelected bureaucrats in Brussels” which people accepted because they knew no better.

[@Rob1nson]

@@justinneill5003 eh…are you trying to write comedy…because you’re good at it! Keep it coming 🙏

[@williamfence566]

After 10 mins in my thoughts are:- How poor is Beth Rigby as an interviewer?

[@JAMAICADOCK]

Blair pushed hard for the former communist countries to join the EU, When they did, most countries put blocks on free movement for ten years, to allow them to catch up economically. Blair, given he was such a champion of eastern Europe joining the EU, couldn't then turn round and say 'sorry we don't want you here for ten years;. Meaning all the Eastern European migrants that might have traveled to France, Germany, Holland, Italy etc etc all descended on the UK. As migration was the main issue underpinning Brexit, you'd have to say Blair's decisions regarding Eastern Europe had a massive influence on Vote Leave's victory, Now you could make the case that Blair made a principled stand on Eastern Europe, and migration from Poland, Lithuania, Hungary etc has done no end of good for the UK economy, however, principled stands, as Campbell well knows - don't always pay off in politics. Such as Merkel's decision to let in millions of Syrian refugees was a principled, brave decision - which she paid dearly for in terms of her popularity.

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

Merkel was a disastrous chancellor. Too close to Putin......

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

The Blair regime openly wanted to change the demographics of our country. He did that to the detriment of the traditional labour voters. He opened the Pandora's box of Scottish independence. The bloke was a disaster.

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

How is Campbell still not in jail? Blood on his hands.

[@dmg8530]

Enjoying this thanks - where is part 2?

[@spaceintel]

No David and Boris is responsible for Brexit. Now what to do?

[@ianhannant7497]

Alastair Campbell a stranger to the truth... Part of the problem

[@khar12d8]

Boris may have put Brexit over the edge but I reckon a pretty large number of people would have backed Brexit whether or not. I voted for Leave and I barely watched anything of the campaign or debates. It was instinct. Two of my house mates, one a Green voter and another Labour, voted Leave too. They certainly weren't Boris fans. Both came from provincial towns, not a city. Like me. All of our home towns voted for Brexit in a fairly big way. It was a culture thing.

[@CC-hx5fz]

Instinctively, I would have voted Leave. We're in a big Labour-Leave area, too. I weighed up a lot of options and went with the "world peace" option of remaining within a political and economic block that could stand up to Russia. Maybe that motivation was a little paranoid. The debates in the media were pretty heavy handed and they still are. I've never asked my neighbours how they voted. The result was decided democratically. Our street isn't divided into groups shouting at each other; calling each other bigots or loony lefties. I think you're right about the culture. We're in Wales. The idea that we live in a democracy, and that's how things are decided, isn't as radical as it seems to be for Londoners. I do blame Blair, ultimately. He presided over a party that increasingly abandoned the working class and left 30% of the electorate with no one to vote for at general elections. If a government holds a referendum then it might be a good idea to keep in touch with the politically disenchanted.

[@kevinwalton4538]

Excellent..Where is Part 2?

[@susannehartl3067]

Success has many fathers while failure is an orphan.

[@Gitskreig]

I'd argue that Blair in't directly responsible for Brexit, but his refusal to make meaningful change, sucking up to capital and continuation of Thatcherism made the ground very fertile for Brexit as a populist anger-vent. I also find it somewhat hypocritical to call out the media for lies enabling Johnson and always being unfair to Labour when he spent years doing everything he could to undermine Labour under Corbyn because he was bitter that centrism had proved itself worthless in the face of a crisis *they* made.

[@geraldbutler5484]

The best thing Brexit has done is reveal the disfunction of the UK and the need for major reform.

[@marionlarkin1161]

A brexit benefit.

[@Quebecoisegal]

PR and not the reform party.

[@californiadreamin8423]

I don’t buy that. Brexit was founded on lies, and the need to save the Tory party, by telling lies. Peppa Pigg , the lier in chief, has done a runner, but the Tory party has plenty of liars who backed Peppa Pigg, and they’re still in power.

[@tonyb9735]

Yes, although it is a shame about the massive and irreparable damage it caused before we came to that realisation.

[@marionlarkin1161]

@@tonyb9735 Absolutely.

[@davidnichol6282]

I am always amazed at Cambell answering questions about Tony Blair. As he was involved with Labour.

[@audreymcgready4329]

Why are you "amazed"? Why would you be when you then say. He was involved with Labour. Well in that case he is in a perfect position to talk about Labour. So you shouldn't be amazed.

[@mwnciboo]

​@@audreymcgready4329A spin doctor who lied like a mf'ker to the point of dodgy dossiers on WMD's in Iraq and Dr Kelly died... then Iraq got invaded. Yet he is talking post truth

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

In may ways, I think Campbell was the de facto Prime Minister during that era, rather than Blair. Obviously Blair was the figurehead, but there was machinery behind him(that includes Campbell) who were actually welding the power.

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

War criminals should not be given the oxygen of publicity......

[@spaceintel]

Europeans are sad we left them and journey is more miserable.

[@durrrr6086]

Alastair Campbell is a monster

[@kevinetheridge7201]

Obviously I can’t speak for the whole country, but I don’t remember or think there was a great swell to have a referendum on EU membership, it was always a few anti EU Conservative MPs that had been and were contained, it was David Cameron getting spooked by Nigel Farage, that lead to him worrying about losing seats to ukip, that then lead him to say “vote for me and I’ll give you a referendum”.

[@gordonfleming458]

Thinking not your strong point

[@alanyearsley9731]

Not so much losing seats as losing votes to UKIP thereby splitting the right-wing Eurosceptic vote in many key marginal constituencies and handing those seats to Labour or the Lib Dems by default.

[@annabell5646]

Blair promised a referendum in 2004 but.........

[@piccalillipit9211]

*Was Blair to Blame for Brexit?* what a f-king preposterous question - I protested Blair and his illegal war but if you asked me to name 1000 people responsible for Brexit - Blair would not be on the list.

[@James1-9-7-8]

To blame Blair (or Brown) alone for Brexit is going too far. However, the clamour for a referendum that eventually took place in 2016 began during the 2010 recession and that was most definitely the result of Labour economics. They played their part!

[@kavehvahedipour2089]

I was on my knees crying when Blaire was elected and big fan of Alistair's. But when he talks of honesty, he was absolutely instrumental in going to war in Iraq. One of the most disingenuous political works of the last decades. He wouldn't have a place ever near politics again.

[@ohgosh5892]

Yes, he made one mistake, but as he was Labour, that should be held against him for all time. For Tories, they lie every time they speak, but you are fine with that. Tory shill.

[@martingillespie7453]

He should be up on war crime charges u idiot

[@jonathanbarraclough5917]

Campbell is a thinker but also a bully and like Blair has lost touch with realities he does not like. Reasonable watch but Rigby is awful.

[@liestricks]

No one person is to blame for Brexit. Between Thatcher, Blair, Johnson, Farage, Cameron, tabloids, the obession with empire and ww2 and EU its hard to pin point one single factor.

[@emilymcplugger]

Christ, almighty. We really are in the realm of political stupidity. I always said there are no stupid questions…read this, and immediately changed my mind.

[@FixUp.LookSharp]

Takes one to know one

[@ozzie2612]

@@FixUp.LookSharp so why is it not a stupid question?

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

I think partly Blair - what with the way the immigration system was opened up after 1997, but also I think the ERM debacle set into motion this as well. Both things showed that Europe and Britian's interests were opposed to another in those instances.

[@vjab1108]

Blair and the Weapons of Mass destruction? Blair and his OPEN DOOR policy. Blair did so much damage.

[@Geraldine-uk9jo]

Totally agree 100% and still they wanted to give him a knighthood . This man ALISTAIR CAMBEL is a total REMOANER hated that we left the EU .the man is full of shit... .

[@ohgosh5892]

It was Julius Caesar's fault. FFS.

[@haberjennings475]

Yes

[@aituk]

Partly, yes.

[@twofarg0ne763]

Keep passing the buck Tories... It's never your fault. The truth hurts. When faced with reality all the Tories have are excuses.

[@gordonfleming458]

Aaaaah the war criminal raised his head again 🤮

[@paulies5407]

Just as culpable in the state the country is in as anyone. New Labour and Tories are two cheeks of the same arse. The brass neck on this guy to pretend he's insulated from the consequences of his life's work is astounding to me.

[@audreymcgready4329]

It was people thinking they are exceptional. Well they found out. They "Are not". Look where their sheer arrogance has gotten us.

[@treyquattro]

Alistair Campbell is a cogent political thinker and communicator.

[@gordonfleming458]

Mental health issues also drink problems

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

War criminal.

[@gordonfleming458]

@@user-th5nb3ox1w definitely 👍 💯

[@Chukwu1967]

Slightly more than half of the British people are to blame. No one else.

[@jmolofsson]

498 MPs are to blame.

[@Noland55]

What a pompous individual. His opinion is that he understands all.

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

He's got mental health issues, hasn't he?

[@gilbertmoyes2918]

How are they going to blame next, King Canute.

[@FixUp.LookSharp]

King Boris, King Farage & King Gove, I think. Seems accurate to me to me to explain the sh*t you & I are in.

[@ajsctech8249]

Blair should have applied the brake on immigrants from from the new eastern European countries. The brake could have been applied as Germany used it but Blair chose not to in order to boost the economy. Blairs policy thee was an aggravating factor but for decades the right wing newspapers were systemically attacking the EU and poisoned the well so that was a bigger factor.

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

He wanted to rub the Tories' noses in multiculturalism. He didn't understand the working class northern voters. How could he?

[@ajsctech8249]

@@user-th5nb3ox1w yes Blair was a posho deep down but he got most things right with judging the mood of the UK people but not on EU Immigration from the new Eastern European countries.However, Brexit isnt the answer and in Blair's correct words 'Brexit isn't the answer to anything'.

[@middleman9183]

@@ajsctech8249 but nor is the EU?

[@ajsctech8249]

@@middleman9183 Blair is right on one thing, "Brexit isn't the answer to anything". Immigration has increased the pound has lost 15%, we will lose 4% GDP over next 10 years, inflation is high due to higher import costs and red tape. Brexit hasn't answered or solved anything major that Brexit voter had hoped.Maybe it will succeed eventually.

[@garyt.8745]

Was Napoleon Bonaparte really to blame for Brexit? What about Churchill? Rik Mayall? or Don Alonso Quijano maybe? F'king hilarious!!!

[@user-ye8fu1pc2y]

Yeah, I knew it was Blair! Even when it was the Tories, I knew it was Blair!

[@Sato393]

I blame Henry the 8th 😜😂🤣

[@johnrohde5510]

Campbell has some brass talking about Putin's invasion, given Iraq. As for Madeleine Albright, she's the bright spark who said, "What's the point of having this wonderful military if we don't use it?" and helped start the slide into arbitrary violence rather than diplomacy and consensus,

[@FixUp.LookSharp]

I'm really not a fan of War either. I will say GB were in the pocket of USA. Bush at the time : we are going in, I know we can count on your support Tony. Remember Tony, there are billions of pounds of debt still owed by GB to USA for WW2. You wouldn't want us to bring forward when that debt is due, would you Tony? Be a good guy Tony, are you on the side of your friends or Saddam?

[@mikedon5205]

​@Ryan agreed anyone who thinks the uk wouldn't have gone into that war had the tories been I charge is kidding themselves in fact the invasion had more support on the backbenches there than labour

[@jezlawrence720]

So I warned on the eve of the decision that going in without full throated un support would destabilise the world for the next few decades by undermining international authority so directly. But there's a huge difference Vs Russia: Blair did *try* to secure that support. Putin just sent in the tanks. Neither are excusable conflicts and the damage both have and will do to global stability as we go into a century of climate driven madness and resource wars can't be understated. But really not on the same level of aggression and dishonesty at all. The dodgy dossier was found by multiple inquiries to be based on intelligence fully believed to be real - heck the un members didn't question it they questioned invading. Putin just yelled "fascists! Honest! And anyway Ukraine isn't real!" And off he went on a murder spree.

[@rufanuf1]

As far as post war politics is concerned I think we can safely blame Bliar for everything.

[@thomasgeorge-gilmore950]

I have always liked Alastair Campbell, even when I disagree with him on a small number of things. Literally a small number, I think 6? But I have always liked him ☺️☺️☺️

[@thomasgeorge-gilmore950]

@@John-fg9ov Peter Mandleson

[@esseker6320]

Me too.

[@uhtredragnorson9930]

If you try hard enough, you can blame anyone for Brexit. You could make a panel game if it.

[@alanbarker2279]

You might as well blame Ted Heath...🤣

[@stuartnoyes2615]

The British people are an independent lot. We don't take lightly being told by foreigners what to do or hold anyone so high they can't be brought down to earth. I think history bears that out. Yet the problem we have is a political class that inherited the belief they have a divine right to rule from the monarchy. Our political class think they are sovereign. That belief has lead them to thinking they have the power to do what they want. Unfortunately constitutional safeguards have never put in place constraints to their power. So if you want to blame anyone for brexit, go further back and look to the mistake of taking us into a political union where the British people lost our sole rights to govern our own nation. Then think about how that happened.

[@jalalmiah8135]

Blair didn't put any cap on the freedom of movement when new countries joined the EU

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

He wanted millions to come in.

[@juliaw6923]

Blair has a lot to answer for. Not sure about Brexit Farage and UKIP for me. But now I dont want to vote for any party.

[@khar12d8]

Tony Blair from the very beginning was mocked for being a liar and opportunist. His critics (many on the left) called him Bliar. I know that since Brexit a certain kind of Remainer looks back to new Labour as some kind of lost golden age but I don't think it's outrageous to argue that cynicism with politics stepped up another level because of new Labour. Voter turnout fell of a cliff in working class, traditionally Labour, Britain after 1997. Plus, all the immigration. The lack of council house building even though immigration was so high (unlike in the 1980s when net immigration was often negative). The failure to rebalance the economy away from London, instead they attempted to patch up problems with tax credits etc... And working class people actually begrudge benefits. They'd rather a good job. Middle class people don't always get that.

[@jmolofsson]

It *_was_* a golden age in the sense that Labour had been unelectable for 20 years. Britain has voters who are more conservative than Labour activists like to see. Your criticism remains valid, though while New Labour was in government, many reforms and decisions were made that made Britain a better place than it had used to be.

[@nikkivieler3761]

Blair is to blame for everything... He's awful!

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

Worse, he's a war criminal.

[@himoffthequakeroatbox4320]

[shakes fist] Bloody Wilson!

[@christontrigwell5240]

We should have remained to the eu us British people will lied to by people like.nigel farage absolutely disgusting how us British people have Neen treated so sad

[@videopyc]

Boris Johnson is to blame about Brexit.

[@bonariablackie4047]

Johnson could never have been Prime Minister if it wasn't for the idiocy of Cameron and then running away like the coward Cameron was. Johnson is vindictive but every bit as cowardly as Cameron. It was Cameron that put in the worst austerity since the second world war, and cut everything to the bone, resulting in the leave result. The problem was, and is, the Tories. It was never anything to do with being in the EU.

[@videopyc]

@@bonariablackie4047 you said it, like it was.

[@jezlawrence720]

Where's part two?!

[@suharvey5786]

no Part 2 ?????

[@damianpritchard1456]

where is part 2?

[@FixUp.LookSharp]

Coming. Can't wait

[@martingillespie7453]

He will get off with it again, everybody's forgot he should be up for war crimes...

[@colinbaker3916]

Main blame is with Cameron for giving in to the head bangers, not making a 60% threshold, not planning for a leave vote. Also blame Labour for electing a Lexiter leader.

[@jerryorange6983]

Germany took a different opinion about granting eastern Europeans access to their labour market in 2004 for political reasons only and ended up in accepting 1.2m Syrians in 2021 to fix their labour market. Same happens now in the UK. in 2022 Britain accepted 550k non-Europeans same year when over 50k Europeans left the country. The self made problem all EU countries face now is birth rate. This is linked to house prices which make nowadays 2 parents to work hence no time, no energy , no money for children. No children, no workers simple. The question is now whether we care what sort of people we want. The people matching with their culture and fitting in or the people who bring their culture and change the country with it. It looks like the latter option was chosen. I hope no one voting out was so stupid to think about replacing Poles or Hungarians with white Canadians or Australians.

[@JD83000]

It was Blair who pushed for the EU A2 countries (Romania/Bulgaria) to join the EU when the majority of EU countries were actually against it. This in turn led to the EU A2 counties being granted freedom of movement to UK in 2014. The impact of this was enough to swing the vote IMO. So in a way, yes, you can argue he is to blame. But there are many others to blame as well.

[@WilkinsMichael]

I can see your point but that is a bit of a stretch to put much more than a tiny bit of the blame on him. The vast majority of the blame goes to the ones who argued to leave and those that voted for it.

[@JD83000]

@Michael Wilkins I agree. Was just putting forward an argument of how he could bare some responsibility.

[@piplebref4607]

It had been festering since Maastricht.

[@remoanersrknts6736]

It's Germany and the eurozone who are in recession not Brexit Britain, and the IMF have said we will outpace Germany Italy and France by 2025. 😂😂 Thank God for Brexit!

[@lancewalker5895]

Gordon Brown caused Brexit because he didn't put the European Union Reform Treaty (Treaty of Lisbon) to a referendum. Had he put the treaty to a referendum then a 'no' vote would have been an EU wide problem & it would have been dealt with properly. A 'yes' vote would have meant Brexit could never have said wee never voted for the EU.

[@jontrewfrombarry]

"could I help Labour do better?" definitely not maybe!

[@jduffell4132]

It's never mentioned what part of the labour market struggles. There's a reason why fresh migrants live in crappy conditions here. It's too expensive to live on low incomes. I constantly hear from migrants of the last 20 years talk of looking elsewhere before its too late because of the cost of living here. Lack of opportunity, poor education systems that teach you what to think, not how to think and the lack of cultural cohesion. Ex communist citizens don't buy into the b******t so easily. They constantly ask why we put up with it. And why were so fragmented as a people. It's the more settled migrant populations, that I have always lived with that complain the most about the mismanagement of migration and voted to leave the EU mainly on that basis. I and others like me, decided leaving was the best way forward so that sovereignty could be brought back here and give us a chance to continue to fix this country. No more hiding behind the EU parliament. We've only had a seat at the table for a century after a long and painful history. The first half of that century was spent fighting in Europe, again. And the second half bending more and more to their will. Its not that long ago that Westminster would refer to us as the unwashed. That was my great grandparents. No one really believed Johnson, he'd just seen his opportunity in latching on to the feelings of the majority of people. Whereas, the rest of Westminster treat them as something that's in the way and should just do as they're told. Making a massive change was not going to be pain free and Westminster has done everything to make it more painful. The people of Britain continue to suffer because the over ambitious need to still be relevant on the world stage. Their need to be relevant continues to make more enemies for us for decades if not centuries to come. It's time for us to finally fix ourselves and stop troubling the rest of the world.

[@incidertrading3798]

IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT LABOUR DID BREXIT! TEE HEE!

[@rockydopeydoge6730]

As much a fan as I am of his podcast with Rory Stewart, one criticism of Alastair has to be his inability to be objective in any discussion about anything to do with Blair or his work during Blair’s tenure at number 10, which undermines the ethos of their show and is very off-putting for listeners.

[@hughcaskey9542]

Blair could not run a bath let alone a country

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

He destroyed our country.

[@jim-es8qk]

Blair was a clever man. Dispite his faults he simultaneously understood the EU, English electorate and Northern Ireland. He grasped the potential consequences of asking for consessions (getting nothing) and holding a referendum. Cammeron didnt.

[@user-th5nb3ox1w]

Blair was an idiot. Opened our doors to unregulated immigration. Allowed the SNP a free rein in Scotland. Plaid in Wales. Gave Irish murderers a get out of jail free card. Took us to war on a lie. Frankly, the worst PM of my lifetime.

[@markashdown1314]

Both stars, love Beth.

[@MarsBorg]

Looking forward to seeing him alongside Bliar in the doc for war crimes in the ICC at the Hague

[@amazinghangover4233]

Blair's lies were when I lost my faith.

[@lighthouse620]

If it wasnt for Brown Blair would have had the UK take the Euro lol

[@DMFPERFORMANCE]

Blair can be blamed for genocide in Iraq but not Brexit.

[@kinomusic9110]

David Kelly

[@JohnKobaRuddy]

2 criminals having a chat

[@CG-or1re]

blair was the one politician who could have destroyed farage and johnson. had he been the front of the campaign in 2016, he would have taken them to the cleaners. unfortunately he is too toxic for some people, such a shame

[@allanjohnsalgado2119]

the Brexti Creators and Brexit Masters pointing each other out who to blame for failure on Brexit and how it crippled UK economy. They said Germany is on recession but Germany is part of EU, and the EU will work each other to support Germany like it gave Support to Spain during its recession. Now who is helping UK???? UK so isolated

[@zorrodm]

Germany is in recession. So Germany needs help. The Eurozone is in recession. So the Eurozone needs help. The UK is not in recession. So the UK does not need help.

[@FixUp.LookSharp]

You are not wrong at all

[@FixUp.LookSharp]

​@@zorrodm euro one was in recession end of Q2 2022 by the official definition & it will be in a proper big one to come, just watch this. But it will be a global recession. For a major world economy UK will be hit particularly hard as it is mostly cut off from free trade, and has a lack of international/USA business investment & has poor gov policy & a gov that is tearing itself apart. What did I miss?

[@zorrodm]

@Ryan I predict UK GDP will grow in each year from 2023 to 2027. The IMF agrees with me, and backs it up with economic modelling. What economic models have you built for your predictions?

[@californiadreamin8423]

⁠@@zorrodm You predict !!! Spare me your clairvoyancy.

[@-win-]

Nigel Farage wanted to set up with not the rules that the European Union would have because well that would be inconvenient

[@dh1380]

No. It was OBVIOUSLY Cameron. This is a ridiculous question. And im no fan of Blair but that is an absurd reach.

[@nudgenudgewinkwink3212]

His government was.

[@MrRobsroom]

Post truth? 45mins? WMD? Oh please.

[@jimlyon7276]

@ 14:252 - Re "Bo Jo" - Is this country EVER going to wake up to the fact that he is a PSYCHOPATH?

[@garyb455]

The EU is to blame for Brexit it has no mandate from the British people to rule us. It has no mandate to rule the Countries in the EU either that's why there is so much discontent across the EU. It is inherently undemocratic.

[@PMMagro]

The UK choose to jon the EU, it was no EU praessure to do so. When you wanted out you voted to leave. Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are outside the EU and can handle it. Just the Uk can not for soem weird reason. The refferendum was 2016, ho many years ill you waste just making your mind up???

[@TheJackb45]

I can see a roundabout way of Blair being responsibility for brexit is the British people rejected the Iraq war ....but were ignored by the government and held their contempt for government until they got a chance to vote.

[@FixUp.LookSharp]

Well said. I'm really not a fan of War either. I will say GB were in the pocket of USA. Bush at the time : we are going in, I know we can count on your support Tony. Remember Tony, there are billions of pounds of debt still owed by GB to USA for WW2. You wouldn't want us to bring forward when that debt is due, would you Tony? I do agree with what you say though. I think Alistair is right : the GFC & subsequent Tory policy of austerity was the main cause of many, for a Brexit populist mindset.

[@ozzie2612]

they did vote .... they had a number of G.E before the ref , it was 13 years after invading iraq that both parties voted to do.

[@WilkinsMichael]

That is a pretty big stretch, isn't it easier to blame the people who proposed it and the people who voted for it? Doesn't the blame rest entirely with them?

[@TheJackb45]

@@WilkinsMichael I agree it's a stretch and very a tenuous stretch at that but if you want to blame Blair it's the only one I can see.

[@alexanders7569]

It's Nick Clegg's fault

[@davecross4493]

This headline isn't what this video was about at all.

[@Gibson1976uk]

eh! so if it was???? what does that say about all the people that came after him who didn't fix it??? LOL

[@Nils.Minimalist]

The xenophobic and racist (towards other european nations) british public is to blame, no one else!

[@formynexttick2104]

No

[@StephenMerchant-up8sg]

Quite clever, delivering an assertion disguised as a question. But not clever enough. Fail, but still fairly impressive for a Remoaner. But anyway as we're here, actually Blair was to blame for the Iraqi genocide

[@petersmillie7297]

If I had been the mouthpiece for a power that knowingly lied to wage war on a poor Middle Eastern country, I'd never show my face again. I'd pray ever day for my soul, and I'd show remorse in my days left on this planet.