Blair is out of touch, say PM and Burnham

Keir Starmer has dismissed Tony Blair’s argument that his government is on the wrong track, saying he is implementing the policies needed for today, not for the very different situation faced by Blair in 1997.

- Peter Walker Senior political correspondent

“You won’t be surprised to know that I don’t agree with much that Tony says about what the government is doing,” the prime minister said during a visit to an apprentice training centre in west London.

Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, who was also criticised by Blair, said the former prime minister’s analysis was undermined by the “gaping omission” of not acknowledging the impact of falling living standards.

In a lengthy essay published on Tuesday, Blair said the government had abandoned the centre ground and was putting Labour’s future at risk. He also argued there was a lack of coherent arguments from those, such as Burnham, seeking to challenge the prime minister. Blair said that on entering government, Starmer should have ditched manifesto pledges on workers' rights and the scale of net zero promises, and should have supported Donald Trump in his attack on Iran.