16 July, 2017
The damage to the economy and livelihoods caused by a break from the 28-nation bloc is becoming clearer as divorce proceedings continue and a compromise with the European Union shouldn't be ruled out, Blair said on Saturday in an essay e-mailed by his office.
Tony Blair has warned that the combination of Brexit followed by a Jeremy Corbyn government would soon leave Britain "flat on our back", arguing that a deeply divided country needs a fundamental rethink of its political ideas.
Mr Corbyn suggested Mr Blair would recognise the support both he and US Senator Bernie Sanders, a fellow anti-austerity campaigner, enjoy "indicates there's a thirst to do things very differently" with a "more inclusive, more socially just, more egalitarian approach to the world rather than just subsidising the very rich".
But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the party respected the outcome of last year's referendum vote to Leave, while shadow chancellor John McDonnell insisted there was no desire to reopen the divisions over Brexit.
He suggested the will of the people may be changing as the difficulties of Brexit negotiations become apparent.
"This time previous year we were the fastest growing economy in the G7".
"Our savings ratio is at the lowest for 50 years, the investment community internationally has now gone really negative on us, our currency's down 10-12%, investment in the motor vehicle industry, for example, is down 30%, living standards are stagnating".
"But he praises the hard-left Labour leader for his surprising election performance - paying tribute to his "temperament in the campaign" and his success in winning over younger voters".
The former Labour leader admitted that "Brexit will happen" if "the will of the British people remains as it was last June".
EUROPE'S leaders are willing to give Britain back some control over immigration to keep us in the EU, Tony Blair has claimed.
And in Britain, the Conservative government suffered a setback in last month's election.
He said: "I actually think at the beginning of the election campaign, we were going to be routed".
Mr Blair reiterated his belief that abandoning the single market would be "damaging" for Britain's economy while predicting that Europe "will comprise an inner and outer circle" in the coming years. The European leaders, certainly from my discussions, are willing to consider changes to accommodate Britain, including around freedom of movement.
"The reforms are now in the program of Europe", he judged. "However, this option is excluded", regretted the former Prime minister in an article for his think-tank Institute for Global Change. "The British people's attitude to Europe is ambivalent", Blair said.
