Labour 'politically competitive' again under Sir Keir Starmer says Tony Blair
24 July 2020, 10:44
Labour under Starmer is politically competitive again, says Blair
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair says Labour has returned to being “politically competitive” and “in a position to win a general election” under Sir Keir Starmer.
The former Labour leader praised his successor's performance in the three months since he won the contest to replace Jeremy Corbyn.
Labour has failed to win a general election since Mr Blair left office in 2007, with Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn all failing to secure majorities.
The December 2019 saw them achieve their worst election result since 1935, with just 202 seats.
Mr Blair said: "Keir is doing a good job - a very good job actually - and I think he has put Labour back on the map. He has made them competitive again.
"He will know and we all know that there's a long way to go before a general election and many things to be done.
"But in these months since he has become the leader, he has I think completely changed the image certainly of the Labour leadership amongst the public and he deserves respect and admiration for that."
Asked if Sir Keir had made Labour a party that can win again, the former prime minister said: "He has put it in a position where it can.
"There are a whole set of questions around policy and so on that in time I'm sure and know he will come to.
"But has he made it politically competitive again which it hasn't really been for quite a long period of time? Yes - and that is a huge step forward for the Labour Party."
