Tony Blair Says Starmer Lacks Coherent Plan in 5,600-Word Broadside

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 26

A 5,600-word essay from Tony Blair says Keir Starmer's government has no "worked-out coherent plan" and is hurting business at a moment of mounting pressure on the prime minister.
Blair singled out workers' rights laws, the employer National Insurance rise, above-inflation minimum wage increases and the oil-and-gas phaseout as policies creating "headwinds" for growth.
He argued replacing Starmer without first settling policy direction would be "irrelevant," while urging Labour toward a "Radical Centre" focused on business growth, welfare reform, immigration and AI.
Downing Street declined to address the essay directly, saying Starmer is focused on delivering change and pointing to earlier economic growth, lower NHS waiting lists, migration and serious violent crime.
The intervention lands after poor election results and five ministerial resignations, with a leadership challenge expected before the Makerfield by-election tests Labour against Reform UK and Andy Burnham.

Can a new Labour leader fix the economic 'headwinds' Blair criticizes, or is the party's fundamental direction the real problem?

Are Starmer's policies to blame for the UK's economic crisis, or is it the unavoidable fallout from the Iran conflict?

Is Tony Blair's 'Radical Centre' vision a genuine solution, or is his 'New Labour' playbook simply outdated for 2026?