UK’s standing has diminished and Starmer faces ‘anxious’ mood in country – Blair
Former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair contrasted the optimism of his first election victory with the ‘very different’ mood in the country now.
Britain’s standing in the world has diminished over the last decade and Sir Keir Starmer has come to power at a time of “anxiety” for the nation, Sir Tony Blair has said of his Labour successor as prime minister.
The ex-PM’s warning comes after Sir Keir claimed “things will get worse before they get better” in a speech ahead of what he said would be a “painful” Budget statement on October 30.
In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan due to be broadcast on Wednesday night, Sir Tony – the last Labour leader who won a general election – was asked if he thought the new Prime Minister had a “mandate” to govern, or if his majority in this summer’s poll was due more to apathy with the Tories.
“Yeah, I think he’s got a mandate, of course. I mean, I think what you’re saying, not in these words, is that the zeitgeist is different,” Sir Tony replied.
