Tony Blair calls for Keir Starmer to be tough on immigration, crime and ‘wokeism’

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Tony Blair has called for “a plan” for immigration control, tougher action on crime and for the new government to avoid “any vulnerability on wokeism”. 

In a lengthy opinion piece for The Times, the former Prime Minister also called for the new Labour government to embrace AI. 

Blair outlined the need for “a plan to control immigration”, stating “if we don’t have rules, we get prejudices”. He also argued for a “tough new approach to law and order”, pointing to criminal modernisation outstripping that of law enforcement. 

Blair also said “There is also clearly a challenge in part of the Muslim community, but that is a topic requiring its own special analysis.”


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Blair said that in office he believed the best solution on immigration “was a system of identity, so we knew precisely who had a right to be here”, stating “we should move as the world is moving towards digital ID”. Blair’s government began a process of introducing compulsory ID cards – which never came to fruition. 

Blair said AI application in the private sector – and encouragement by government – “is the only answer to Britain’s productivity challenge”. He also called for AI deployment in healthcare, education and government processes. 

Blair previously warned that AI “will change everything” in 2023 and his Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has a large body of work on the topic. 

He has also made recent comments on social issues, stating “biologically, a woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis” in June and stating Labour must avoid the “cul-de-sac of identity politics” in 2020. He had previously urged Starmer to drop “woke” politics in 2022. 

 


 

Read more on how the night unfolded:

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Jacob Rees-Mogg: Senior Tory loses seat as Labour mayor Dan Norris wins

Gaza: Jon Ashworth loses in Leicester as independents win Blackburn and Batley

Islington North: Jeremy Corbyn holds on in strong result over Labour

Nuneaton, Stevenage, Swindon, Worcester: Labour wins in key bellwether marginals


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Natalie Fleet, campaigning to be Labour MP for Bolsover at the 2024 general election. Photo: Ed Godden Photography
Bolsover candidate Natalie Fleet. Ed Godden Photography

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