Tony Blair says he is all about the future – but his vision is woefully stuck in the past

Tony Blair says he is all about the future – but his vision is woefully stuck in the past Tony Blair has released a lengthy essay on Britain’s future and Labour’s failings, garnering significant media coverage. While praised for its clarity, the essay is criticized for its outdated geopolitical views, particularly regarding the US alliance and the Iran conflict, and its perceived bias on technology due to financial ties.

• Tony Blair’s essay on Britain’s future and Labour’s failings has unified the Labour party in criticism of him.
• The essay, released during a parliamentary recess, secured extensive media coverage.
• Blair argues that Britain is unprepared for two “epochal changes”: a world dominated by the US and China, and the rise of AI.
• Critics argue Blair’s stance on sticking with the US, regardless of the leader or consequences, is a repetition of his “Iraq”-era foreign policy.
• Blair’s support for the US war on Iran is criticized as misguided, with the war achieving none of its aims and potentially enriching the Iranian regime.
• His views on Europe are seen as out of step, dismissing the EU’s role in regulating technology as a reason to stay distant.
• Concerns are raised about the Tony Blair Institute’s significant funding from Larry Ellison, whose company Oracle is heavily invested in AI, suggesting a conflict of interest in Blair’s pro-AI stance.
• Critics point out the essay’s omission of poverty and inequality, suggesting Blair’s focus is now aligned with corporate boardrooms rather than domestic issues.