Blair presses Burnham to back return to a reformed EU
The former British prime minister says Brussels must be on a "credible path to reform" if the U.K. is to rejoin the bloc.
LONDON — Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has urged Britain to seek re-entry into a reformed European Union (EU) within the next decade, according to a report published by his think tank. In the foreword of the paper, Blair emphasized that Britain "must be in the room shaping Europe's future," stressing that the U.K.'s return to the bloc should be a "cornerstone" of the upcoming 10-year plan for the UK government, provided Brussels demonstrates genuine commitment to reform.
Blair's report suggests that the U.K. should pursue a formal relationship with the EU only if it is a "Europe on a credible path to reform, a Europe of nation states, a Europe capable of being a genuine global power." If these conditions are not met, the report advises that the U.K. should engage in cooperation with Europe where interests align, while demonstrating its preparedness to remain independent.
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change warns against clinging to the old Brexit rhetoric and the "red lines" in the Labour party's election-winning 2024 manifesto. Instead, Blair proposes fostering cooperation between the U.K. and European partners through new shared institutions, such as transforming the North Sea into a shared energy hub, joint work on artificial intelligence, and participation in the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loans for arms scheme.
Blair has consistently opposed Britain's withdrawal from the EU, describing the country's referendum result as "the most serious it's taken since the second world war." In 2017, he vowed to make it his "mission" to persuade voters to "rise-up" and change their stance on Brexit.
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