WATCH: Brexit is “painful” or “pointless”, says Blair

Sienna Rodgers

Tony Blair has described Brexit as a choice between the “painful” and the “pointless”.

Appearing on The Andrew Marr Show today, advocating for a fresh referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, Blair said: “You either get out of the single market, in which case you’re going to do economic damage – at least in the short and medium term. That’s the painful Brexit.

“Or you don’t, and you do what Theresa May wants, which is stay tied to Europe’s rules. This is what the Chequers document says. Then you’re in a pointless Brexit.”

The former Labour Prime Minister also said he had “a lot of respect” for Theresa May, who he described as a “decent person… surrounded by a lot of pretty unreasonable ones”.

“I respect the fact she manages to stand up, to get on with it. I think that’s a great capability… Personally I can see a lot to admire in the way that she handles herself,” Blair added.

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