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Tony Blair: Labour needs 'head-to-toe renewal' Tony Blair: Labour hopefuls must offer radical change
(about 3 hours later)
Tony Blair will say that "nothing less than 'born again' head-to-toe renewal will do" for Labour, as party members prepare to choose their next leader. Tony Blair has questioned whether the contenders for the Labour leadership offer the "fundamental" change the party needs to get back into power.
The ex-PM - who led Labour from 1994 to 2007 - will warn the party could be out of government for a decade unless it adopts a new "radical" politics. The former Labour PM said the party was facing a "make-or-break moment" after losing four general elections in a row and required "head-to-toe renewal".
Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Sir Keir Starmer are competing to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Sir Keir Starmer are competing to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.
The results of the contest will be announced on 4 April. Party members start voting next week, with a winner announced on 4 April.
During the campaign Mr Blair has faced some criticism from leadership hopeful Ms Nandy, who argued that under his leadership, Labour "tacitly accepted that four decades of economic conservatism was a bigger priority than people". Speaking in London, Mr Blair - prime minister from 1997 to 2007 - said Labour's manifesto for December's general election had been unpopular and many voters had judged it to be "incredible".
In a speech marking the 120th anniversary of the founding of Labour, Mr Blair is expected to acknowledge that his advice is not "particularly welcome to today's party". He called the party's Brexit policy ahead of the election "bizarre", but added that it should not change position and immediately campaign for the UK to rejoin the EU.
"But then it occurred to me that there are only two people born in the last 120 years who have actually won an election for Labour - and alas Harold Wilson is long gone," he will add, referring to the Labour prime minister of the 1960s and 70s. "You've got to give [Brexit] a chance to be done," he added.
He will warn the Conservatives could be in power for 10 years unless Labour adopts a new "radical" form of politics. At the King's College London event marking the 120th anniversary of the founding of Labour, Mr Blair acknowledged that his advice was not "particularly welcome to today's party".
"The problem is that we have defined radical politics by a policy agenda which is hopelessly out of date, with 'moderate' politics being just a milder version of it," he is expected to say. He said he would not be endorsing any of the leadership candidates, as he did not want to "damage anyone by supporting them".
"We must redefine what radical means. We're living through a technology revolution which is the 21st century equivalent of the 19th century Industrial Revolution. But he said: "When you really look objectively at our position, fundamental reconstruction is what you need.
"It will change everything and therefore everything should change including radical reorientation of government. "Now, I don't think you can tell whether any of the leadership people, or the people likely to win, are going to do that or not right now."
"This is the context in which we tackle inequality, promote social justice and redistribute power." 'Got things wrong'
Ms Nandy has said the party must be "honest" about the failings of New Labour if it is to persuade voters to acknowledge the party's past achievements.
Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, she said Mr Blair's time in office had been "game-changing".
She added: "But to earn the right for a hearing with the public about the things we got right, we've also got to be honest about the things we got wrong."
Ms Nandy has previously argued that under Mr Blair, who led Labour from 1994 to 2007, the party "tacitly accepted that four decades of economic conservatism was a bigger priority than people".
During his London speech, Mr Blair argued that Labour would have performed better at the election with a "more moderate" leader, but required more far-reaching change in the long run.
He added that the party should "redefine what radical means" in the context of technological changes, and needed to build a "whole new progressive alliance".
Mr Blair also warned the party against entering into a "culture war with the right" on issues such as trans rights - and said he would not sign up to a pledge to expel party members who have expressed "transphobic" views.
Wigan MP Ms Nandy and shadow business secretary Mrs Long-Bailey have said they would sign the 12-point plan by the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights.
Sir Keir, the party's Brexit spokesman, has not signed the pledge but has committed to a different series of promises from LGBT Labour, a party affiliate group.