Keir Starmer has pushed back against criticism from Tony Blair, saying that “much” of what the former prime minister said in a lengthy essay attacking the government’s record was wrong. Speaking during a visit to a train depot in west London, Starmer acknowledged the need for policy debate but insisted his government’s choices were the right ones given the state of the country it inherited.
Starmer said he agreed with Blair that a discussion about policy and ideas is important, but then went on to reject most of the specific criticisms. He pointed to economic stabilisation, falling NHS waiting lists – the biggest drop in 17 years – and lower migration alongside higher growth as evidence that his policies are working. He also highlighted the rebuilding of relationships with EU countries while maintaining ties with the US.
“We can all argue about individual policies, but the real question is, what’s the change, what’s the difference that is happening in a country we inherited two years ago in a very poor place?” Starmer said. He later published a fuller response on his Substack blog.
The exchange comes as Blair’s 5,700-word essay, published yesterday, criticised the Labour government’s direction. Starmer’s rebuttal underscores tensions between the current leadership and the party’s most successful former prime minister, with the prime minister arguing that the challenges of 2024 are vastly different from those of 1997.
