Speaking in Brussels, Tony Blair criticized Theresa May’s approach to Brexit and urged EU leaders to reform the EU.
The former Prime Minister said that the UK government’s strategy was bound to fail and called for new leadership to rescue the UK and EU from devastating consequences.
“Some in Britain believe that therefore Europe will bend in its negotiating stance and allow Britain largely unfettered access to Europe’s single market without the necessity of abiding by Europe’s rules. This won’t happen because quite simply it can’t.”
Blair went onto criticizing the Labour party, saying he would be “hammering the Tories all the time,” if he was still in charge. According to the former prime minister, the Labour party need to “say what it really believes” regarding Brexit.
Blair, who has called for a second referendum, has views differing from the current Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who has made clear the result of the EU referendum should be respected.
Blair also spoke of the potential risks faced by Northern Ireland.
“I find it not just disappointing but sickening that people should really be prepared to sacrifice peace in Northern Ireland on the altar of Brexit,” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Comments from Blair have not been welcomed by those happy with the ‘leave’ result of the referendum.
Leave Means Leave’s, Richard Tice, said: “Former prime ministers who no longer believe in our great nation are engaged in a desperate last ditch attempt to defy the largest democratic mandate ever in the UK.”
“Disgracefully, they are using the Irish border as their proxy, ignoring the technological solutions that solve the issue,” he added.
On Friday, Theresa May will give a speech in which she will outline the next phase of Brexit negotiations and how the UK government will approach them.