Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting have criticised Tony Blair's recent essay on Labour's future, accusing the former prime minister of failing to address inequality. In a lengthy critique of Keir Starmer's government, Blair argued for welfare cuts, expanded oil and gas production, and closer ties with Donald Trump. He also targeted policy proposals from Burnham and Streeting, both seen as potential leadership challengers.
Writing in the Guardian, Streeting said Blair's essay barely confronted inequality, calling it 'the defining issue of our age.' He argued that economic, social, and democratic fractures in modern Britain are fundamental, not peripheral. Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, echoed this, noting Blair 'doesn't mention inequality once.' Burnham plans a detailed response on Thursday.
Streeting warned that anger over inequality fuels populism, saying voters feel 'the rules no longer reward effort fairly.' He rejected Blair's nostalgia for the 1990s, urging progressives to ensure 'ordinary working people have power, protection and opportunity.' He also defended his proposed wealth tax and EU re-entry ambition, which Blair criticised, and condemned Blair's Iraq War record, stating 'Atlanticism cannot mean automatic subservience.'
Torsten Bell, a DWP minister, said Blair's essay lacked a serious policy project, noting that blaming high welfare spending ignores rising debt costs and austerity. Starmer is reportedly considering his own formal response to the essay.
