If Tony Blair was a rank-and-file member of the Labour Party, he would have been suspended by now, prior to his expulsion from the party for undermining its policies and leadership.

Considering the party’s egalitarian background and principles, we should all demand to know why this fifth columnist is still allowed to keep his membership card.

Come to think of it, this is a man who told us all to vote Tory or Lib Dem over Brexit, back in April. As it is an expulsion offence for Labour members to back any party other than Labour, his membership card should have been thrown in the incinerator nearly three months ago.

Mr Blair has told the world he thinks that Brexit, followed by a Corbyn-led Labour government, would leave the UK “flat on its back”. As every Labour member knows, it is an expulsion offence to suggest that the party should not be elected into government, so why is this not happening to him?

“If a rightwing populist punch in the form of Brexit was followed by a leftwing populist punch in the form of unreconstructed hard-left economics, Britain would hit the canvas, flat on our back and be out for a long count,” he wrote in an article released by his own political institute.

Of course the Corbyn programme, as described in Labour’s 2017 manifesto, is nothing like “unreconstructed hard-left economics”. Mr Blair knows that, too, soo his remark is intentionally misleading.

As for Brexit: Mr Blair thinks changes in the political structure of the EU nations mean it should be possible for the UK to remain in a reconstructed version of the economic bloc. The problem is, that ship has sailed.

We are on our way out of the EU – in the most disastrous way possible because of Tory mismanagement of negotiations, but that is nothing to do with Jeremy Corbyn or Labour. EU leaders are never going to relax their position on freedom of movement between member states – it is one of the “four freedoms” on which the EU is based – so Mr Blair is lying about any hope of that happening. Besides, the UK always had far more control over immigration than successive governments admitted – they just didn’t exercise it.

In fact, a recent Twitter thread made it very clear that, after the EU gave in on practically everything the UK demanded, we decided to leave because of those concessions. The other EU leaders are probably delighted to be seeing the backs of us.

About the only worthwhile point Mr Blair made (yes, there was one!) is that Labour cannot count on the Tories running a campaign as lacklustre as that of Theresa May in the near future. No matter how few ideas they have, the Conservatives are already working on ways to make themselves look more interesting – especially to young voters.

But even here, Mr Blair makes an error of judgement. The Tories’ problem is that they have nothing left to offer working people and those who have already been forced into poverty by their – and his – neoliberal economic policies. They are left with nothing but naked selfishness. They’ll try to dress it up nicely, but most people have started to see through their doublespeak.

Jeremy Corbyn has reacted to Mr Blair’s words in this BBC clip.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has also responded. He said what most “ordinary people” now wanted was a Brexit that would protect the economy and their jobs. According to The Guardian, he continued:

“We believe we can achieve that traditional British compromise of bringing people back together again,” he said. “That is what we need now. What we don’t want is to have divisions in the country again.

“To be frank, Mr Blair hasn’t really listened to the nature of the debate that is going on in the pubs, the clubs and school gates.”

Perhaps the harshest critics of Mr Blair’s outburst were the ordinary voters, as exemplified in the social media.

Adam Samuels in the Dorset Eye wrote a letter to Mr Blair in which he stated:

Show some respect. Show some humility. Show all the qualities you have so far failed to show since Corbyn became leader. i.e. Act as OUR leader has. Maybe then you will start to appear relevant again. Maybe.

I implore you to LISTEN and LEARN. Trying to dictate a media narrative using the same approach that lost so many voters and members for Labour, is only going to mean I, and others, have to work extra hard to, once again, try and undo the damage to the Labour ‘brand’ that you inflicted/inflict. Of course, like anyone, you are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to bring down the party you are a member of.

Others were more to the point:

A “melt”, by the way – as a noun – is currently defined as “an absolute and complete idiot”.

And if you’re wondering why Alan Johnson is in the image, it’s because of this:

Moving on:

Last word goes to Matt Turner of Evolve Politics, telling RT exactly what This Writer thinks should be done with Tony Blair:

https://twitter.com/MattTurner4L/status/886156267940700160

---

Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com

2) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/

 

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

3) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here: