Keir Starmer has defended his government after former Prime Minister Tony Blair accused the current Labour leadership of having no coherent plan. In a 3,000-word essay, Starmer insisted he got the big political choices right and highlighted achievements including record public service investment and the fastest reduction in NHS waiting times since 1948.
Starmer acknowledged being too negative in the early days of government but said the country was turning around. He cited falling net migration, reduced knife crime, a slashed asylum backlog, and savings for working families through childcare investment. He also rejected Blair's claim that Britain was falling behind on artificial intelligence.
On net zero, Starmer defended the policy, arguing that investing in clean British energy strengthens the country's agency over global markets. He accused Blair of overlooking the impact of the 2008 financial crash and said Labour values were guiding the government's vision.
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham, who is seeking a return to Westminster, accused Blair of 'retro' thinking. Writing in The Times, Burnham said Blair's call for deregulation would repeat past mistakes and fail to protect children from unregulated social media and AI. He also claimed the Blair years failed to undo Margaret Thatcher's legacy, particularly on housing.
