Letters: Is Blair too toxic even if he is right about Brexit?
Former prime minister Tony Blair has attacked Labour over its Brexit stance/ Photo: PA/Stefan Rousseau - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Does Tony Blair help the cause to remain in the European Union - or does he hinder it?
I was pleased to read Alastair Campbell's article in last week's TNE defending the Blair government's record.
I am astonished how much liberal vitriol there is against Blair until I realise that it largely comes from younger people who do not remember much of the achievements of the Blair era.
New schools were (literally) rebuilt just in time for my children to take advantage of them. Waiting times in A&E decreased. Public transport improved. There was a real attempt at a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. I could go on.
Yes, with hindsight the war in Iraq was ill-advised. I am also old enough, however, to remember the crowing of the tabloid press when the statue of Saddam Hussein was brought down. I'm also old enough to remember the first Gulf War and the burning of the oil fields in Kuwait by Iraqi forces.
You may also want to watch:
Don't just condemn. Let's all work together and put this thing right.
Sophie Basi
Most Read
- 1 Leave EU website suspended after EU registry blocks move to Ireland
- 2 Priti Patel fails to appear in Commons to answer questions on missing police records
- 3 Boris Johnson blames seafood companies for post-Brexit sales slump
- 4 The Tory MPs who failed to vote against a Universal Credit cut
- 5 Comedian wins praise after shaming No 10 during Dancing on Ice appearance
- 6 Iain Duncan Smith defends calling Donald Trump 'a decent man'
- 7 The bigot we should have called out on day one
- 8 Tory minister admits UK rejected EU's music visa offer in order to 'take back control' of borders
- 9 Kwasi Kwarteng confirms post-Brexit review of workers' rights
- 10 Progressive alliance could see Labour win 351 seats at next election, new analysis reveals
Warwick
You have only to look at today's Middle East to realise it is obscene to try to redeem Blair's reputation by reference to his achievements elsewhere. The most he should hope for is to be utterly forgotten.
He is not needed in the referendum campaign, doing Remain actual harm. Let it be remembered, he chose Bush over Chirac; some European!
Ann Marie Dowling
Love Blair or hate him, he is right to oppose Brexit. Love Corbyn or hate him, he is wrong to support Brexit.
Don Adamson
Rainham
In his defence of his former boss, Alastair Campbell describes Tony Blair as 'the last leader of any party to win a majority'.
Alastair has forgotten that David Cameron won a small majority in 2015, which, of course, is how the sorry mess of the referendum and Brexit all began, as the referendum was the headline pledge in the 2015 Tory manifesto.
What is galling is that majority was secured with less than 37% of the votes cast in the 2015 election (votes cast, mind, not total electorate – it was less than 25% of that). Will o' the people, don't you know!
John Ingamells
Cromer
• Send your letters for publication in our newspaper to letters@theneweuropean.co.uk - The New European is published every Thursday for just £2.50.
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.