Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour is failing the British people by being uncompetitive and not taking victory seriously, Tony Blair declares
The former PM told the current leadership: "We've got to make them wake up every morning and fear us."
TONY BLAIR has lashed out at Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, accusing him of "failing" the British people by not providing a "competitive" opposition.
The former PM said he didn't think Theresa May spent any time worrying about whether Labour could win the next general election because they weren't effective as a party.
In an interview with Labour MPs Wes Streeting and Ruth Smeeth , the former PM tore into the Labour leader for the dire state of the party.
He said: "We [have] failed in what is our fundamental duty to the British people, that is to be a competitive opposition.
And the former PM said that "passion in itself is not enough" and stressed that winning elections was about providing change the public wanted.
He went on: "Just ask yourself one simple question: In the prime minister’s office, in Tory high command, how much of their time do they spend worrying about the prospect of a Labour victory at the present time? I would guess zero."
Mr Blair - who won three elections for Labour - added: "We’ve got to make them wake up every morning and fear us."
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And the former premier said that the current party were still putting their principles ahead of power - which would get them nowhere.
"If you don't have power, you can't do anything," he said.
He added that Labour had only ever won power when it had been at the "cutting edge" of modernity.
"The whole purpose of having power is to implement your principles," he said. "Your principles have to take account of changing times, otherwise what are they? They’re just a kind of relic."
He hinted that the ultra-left takeover of the party would shape it in years to come - much like it did in the late 70s and early 80s.
He called on the party to show it has a "modern concept of social democracy" and to "develop a new progressive agenda for today's world".
Mr Blair said policies focusing on "the next generation of technology" such as artificial intelligence, automation and big data would transform the work place, and politicians in the party had to take it up.
"What’s our answer to it?" he said: "We don’t have an answer to that question, we’re nowhere."
Yesterday Mr Corbyn faced a fresh blow to his leadership when it emerged that the Shadow Community and Local Government Secretary Teresa Pearce announced she would step down after May's local elections.
The party could lose up to 50 seats in a few weeks time, fresh analysis said over the weekend.
Labour are still polling low - with some showing an 18 point lead for the Tories.
Shadow Health Secrerary Jonathan Ashworth said yesterday the party HAD to be taking seats next month.
He told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “We have got to win elections in these various county council elections coming up, in the mayoral elections and so on and we’ve got to show we are winning the trust of the British people. That is our big challenge and I’m not going to give up on that.”
