Tony Blair delivers brutal verdict on Scottish Labour

Tony Blair delivers brutal verdict on Scottish Labour saying ex-Tory leader Ruth Davidson was the only effective opposition to the rampant SNP in the past decade

  • Tony Blair has laid into the performance of Scottish Labour over past decade
  • Said ex-Tory leader Ruth Davidson has been the only real opposition to SNP
  • Complained it meant Nicola Sturgeon could put independence centre stage 

Tony Blair delivered a brutal verdict on Scottish Labour today saying ex-Tory leader Ruth Davidson has been the only effective opposition to the SNP for a decade.

In a devastating attack, the former PM lashed out at the way Nicola Sturgeon had been given a free run to push for breaking up the UK. 

He warned that the independence issue was now ‘centre stage’ again due to Labour’s slump north of the border – with just one MP now compared to dozens up to 2015.   

The swipe came after Scottish Labour was plunged into fresh turmoil with the resignation of its leader just months ahead of Holyrood elections.

Corbyn ally Richard Leonard fell on his sword after months of tensions with Keir Starmer and other senior figures. 

Asked about devolution at a Chatham House event today, Mr Blair said: ‘I think… what has put Scottish independence back centre-stage again are two things.

In a devastating attack, Tony Blair lashed out at the way Nicola Sturgeon had been given a free run to push for breaking up the UK

Nicola Sturgeon

Ruth Davidson

Mr Blair said ex-Tory leader Ruth Davidson (right) has been the only effective opposition to the SNP, led by Ms Sturgeon (left), for a decade

Corbyn ally Richard Leonard fell on his sword after months of tensions with Keir Starmer (pictured) and other senior figures

Corbyn ally Richard Leonard fell on his sword after months of tensions with Keir Starmer (pictured) and other senior figures

‘First of all the Labour Party lost its position in Scotland completely for, I think, reasons that were avoidable.

‘And, really, the only effective opposition that has come to the SNP in the last decade was actually when Ruth Davidson was the Conservative Party leader in Scotland.

‘And, the second thing was that Brexit put it back on the agenda again. The fact is it’s given the nationalists a whole new lease of life.’

The comments came a day after Scottish Labour began a search for its fifth leader in seven years after the sudden resignation of Richard Leonard from the post ahead of parliamentary elections in May.

Mr Blair also called for public regulation of social media as he criticised decisions by Twitter and others to ban President Donald Trump from their platforms in the wake of the mob storming of the US Capitol building last week.

Questioned by Tory former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt at the policy institute’s virtual forum, Mr Blair insisted tech giants such as Twitter needed regulation.

He said: ‘I think you have got to treat these companies, to a degree, as public interest companies.

‘And, no, it can’t be right that the CEO of the company decides whether the president of the United States has a platform, or not.

‘So, you are going to have to find some way of getting a system of regulation that is not simply driven by the views of the company.

‘It is part of what is a big debate, which is: how do you regulate these large technology companies that have an influence politically of an outsize amount.’

Scottish Labour began a search for its fifth leader in seven years after the sudden resignation of Mr Leonard (pictured) from the post ahead of parliamentary elections in May

Scottish Labour began a search for its fifth leader in seven years after the sudden resignation of Mr Leonard (pictured) from the post ahead of parliamentary elections in May

The ex-prime minister insisted the Leave or Remain EU argument was now over and should be replaced by a debate on change or decline for the UK.

He said: ‘I campaigned so long and so passionately against Brexit because I believed it to be a strategic error not just of policy but of destiny.

‘I haven’t changed my mind about its wisdom. But reality is reality. We have done it. We must live with it. We should make the best of it.

‘It is no longer ‘Leave or Remain’ but ‘change or decline’.

‘The right response therefore, is to treat Brexit as a jolt, to act as a catalyst for change.’