Sir Tony Blair has delivered a blistering intervention into Labour’s internal crisis, warning Sir Keir Starmer that the party risks political collapse without a “coherent plan” for Britain’s future.
In a stark essay published by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the former prime minister criticised Labour’s direction on Brexit, Net Zero and economic policy, arguing the party had drifted into what he described as an “extraordinarily retro 20th-century feel”.
“The Labour Party is playing with fire; or, more accurately, with its future, and that of the country,” Sir Tony wrote.
While insisting the problem was not rooted in Starmer’s personality, Blair argued Labour had failed to articulate a convincing long-term strategy capable of responding to rapid global change.
“What’s missing is a worked-out, coherent plan for the country in a fast-changing world,” he said.
The intervention amounts to one of the most serious public critiques yet from Labour’s most electorally successful leader, exposing growing unease within parts of the party over its ideological direction and declining poll ratings.
Sir Tony warned Labour risked being “sliced to the left and right of itself” if it failed to redefine its political identity, accusing sections of the party of indulging in “self-delusion”.
In particular, he cautioned against any shift further to the Left while in government, describing such a move as “dangerous”.
“It is one thing when in opposition to indulge this perennial delusion that when we lose seats to the Right the country is really signalling it wants Labour to move Left; it is dangerous to do it in government,” he wrote.
The remarks are likely to fuel speculation about tensions inside Labour over the party’s future direction, particularly amid rumours that senior Left-wing figures could eventually mount a leadership challenge.
Sir Tony also used the essay to issue a pointed warning over attempts to reopen the Brexit debate, arguing that rejoining the European Union would not solve Britain’s underlying problems.
“Just as Brexit was never the answer to Britain’s challenges back in 2016, reversing it isn’t the answer to the country’s far worse situation in 2026,” he wrote.
The comments come amid renewed debate within Labour over Europe after senior figures including Wes Streeting described Brexit as a “catastrophic mistake”, while Andy Burnham recently softened previous calls to eventually rejoin the EU.
On energy policy, Blair urged ministers to rethink elements of the Government’s Net Zero strategy, arguing Britain should focus on cheaper energy and make fuller use of remaining North Sea oil and gas reserves.
“We must prioritise cheaper energy and electrification over net zero and use what is left of our North Sea oil and gas resources,” he wrote.
He criticised policies which “prioritise clean energy over cheaper energy”, calling on ministers to align climate ambitions more closely with economic growth and energy affordability.
The essay also contained a veiled criticism of Labour’s handling of its own political inheritance, with Blair noting that the party appeared unwilling to learn from the only period in its modern history in which it secured multiple full terms in government.
“Unfortunately, to the exam question: how do we win a second full term of government, the one answer which seems ruled out, is learning from the only time in the party’s 120-year history it has ever done so,” he wrote.
Sir Tony ultimately argued Labour should reposition itself as what he termed the “Radical Centre”, warning that voters risked feeling they had elected “New(ish) Labour” only to receive “Old(ish) Labour” instead.
The intervention is likely to intensify scrutiny of Starmer’s leadership at a sensitive moment for the Government, as ministers face mounting political pressure over the economy, immigration and energy policy.
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