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

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:

Liz Truss loses South West Norfolk: Beaten by a lettuce, beaten by Labour

Scotland results: Labour makes big gains as SNP obliterated

Wales results: Labour bags 27 of 32 seats as Tories wiped off the map

Red Wall: Gains in Stoke, Grimsby, Redcar, Workington, Hartlepool, Barrow, Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Bolsover

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

Read more on what could come next for Labour in power:

100 days: What happens during the first 100 days of a Labour government?

Delivering pledges: ‘Change is hard – how can Labour achieve it?’

Manifesto: ‘12 great policies you may never have heard of’

Foreign affairs: ‘Whatever happens to Biden, Starmer faces a US challenge’

Trilemma: IFS warns Starmer will likely have to pick cuts, debt or tax hikes

Read more on how Labour fought this campaign in key battlegrounds:

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