Labour's Worse Under Jeremy Corbyn Than It Was With Militant In The Eighties, Claims Tony Blair

[naomi24]

He said Labour is in “much worse” shape now than during the Eighties under Michael Foot’s leadership.and claimed Jeremy Corbyn had allowed “extreme elements” to adopt dominant positions in the party.

“Now is worse,” he said. “Much worse, because it’s happening with the support of the leadership. They are bringing back the more extreme elements that were either outside the party or marginalised.”

His words will deepen the alarm felt by centrist Labour MPs about the rise of the Left under Mr Corbyn, whose allies last week secured a majority on the National Executive Committee and took over the chair of the party’s powerful disputes committee.
Labour MP Mary Creagh warned the party leadership not to be inward-looking amid reports that up to 50 MPs will be targeted for deselection by Leftists.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/labours-worse-under-corbyn-than-it-was-with-militant-in-the-eighties-claims-blair-a3746286.html

Right or wrong?

[douglas9401]

Right.

[naomi24]

It's not often I agree with Tony Blair - dreadful man - but he's right on this.

[mikey4444]

So why are Labour now so popular ?

http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/homepage.html

[naomi24]

Mikey, a bit early in the thread to be trying to change the subject. Is he right or wrong?

[mushroom25]

//worse under corbyn//

not according to the party faithful - he's the best leader in the party's 117 year history, apparently:-

https://luxoraleader.com/chris-williamson-says-jeremy-corbyn-better-than-attlee/524344/
Tony B Liar no longer represents the modern party.

[mikey4444]

I wasn't changing anything. I think Blair is wrong, and the Polls would appear to agree.

[dannyk13]

Polls are not reliable Mikey, as you well know.

[ToraToraTora]

mikey: "I think Blair is wrong" - well I'll go t foot of our stairs, St Tony, Wrong! PMSL! It's he only sensible thing he's said for years. The man who slaughtered the sacred cows of Labour, who made Labour into the pseudo tories, made them acceptable to Middle England. There are a lot of deluded mikeys about.

[mikey4444]

Danny....you are right of course, but real Elections are, as can be seen from the result last June....Labour surged ahead and the Tories lost their overall majority.

[Kromovaracun]

In terms of my own politics, I'm probably closer to Ed Miliband than to Corbyn or Momentum (and I think the country would be a far better place now if Miliband had won in 2015). But overall, I would rather have the party as it is now than it was under Blair. Certainly I would rather have Labour 2018 than Labour 1983, where the party actually fell apart.

There's plenty I don't like about the present Labour leadership - I have met some of the people Corbyn has chosen to surround himself with, and I can't say I'm impressed. I find Corbyn's prevaricating on Ireland rather sickening, I think he has a worrying tendency to make promises he can't deliver on, and I think some (but only some) of his policies are a bit fanciful.

But I like the fact that the party actually offers a different platform to the standard Thatcherite/Blairite set of policies that have been governing this country for almost 40 years. I like the fact that the party is actually making noises about fixing some of the problems those policies have caused, and think that on the whole they are actually more in step with the times on this than their critics give them credit for.

[mikey4444]

Shock...Horror....TTT agrees with Blair !

[naomi24]

Mikey, but Labour is bringing back, as Blair says, 'the more extreme elements'. We all know that - no one can miss it - so why do you say he's wrong?

[emmie]

i don't agree with Blair usually - he is an awful excuse for a man, but on this i wholeheartedly concur.

[Islay]

The phrase 'no *** Sherlock' springs to mind!

[Old_Geezer]

Somewhat ironic; Tony Blair complaining that someone has made Labour worse.

[naomi24]

OG, ironic, why? Tony Blair made Labour very successful indeed - at least initially.

[EDDIE51]

Tony Blair turned Labour into a copy of the Tories as 'New Labour'. Remember his role model was Margaret Thatcher !
Corbyn is turning it back into what it used to be 'pre Blair' . It is therefore obvious that Blair is going to say Corbyn's Labour is worse. But it is only worse in his eyes and those of the 'New Labour' MP's . Among the electorate, Labour is now more popular and has more supporters than it has had for decades.

[Islay]

If labour is so popular - how come they lost the GE?

[douglas9401]

Oh don't, Islay, now we'll have a blizzard of random capitals and exclamation marks. :)

[naomi24]

Eddie, //Tony Blair turned Labour into a copy of the Tories as 'New Labour'. //

And people voted for him in droves. Hmmm.... I wonder why? Strange that.