Is Tony Blair hindering the campaign to remain in the European Union?

Former prime minister Tony Blair has attacked Labour over its Brexit stance/ Photo: PA/Stefan Rousseau - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

Does Tony Blair help the cause to remain in the European Union – or does he hinder it?

I was pleased to read Alastair Campbell’s article in last week’s TNE defending the Blair government’s record.

I am astonished how much liberal vitriol there is against Blair until I realise that it largely comes from younger people who do not remember much of the achievements of the Blair era.

New schools were (literally) rebuilt just in time for my children to take advantage of them. Waiting times in A&E decreased. Public transport improved. There was a real attempt at a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. I could go on.

Yes, with hindsight the war in Iraq was ill-advised. I am also old enough, however, to remember the crowing of the tabloid press when the statue of Saddam Hussein was brought down. I’m also old enough to remember the first Gulf War and the burning of the oil fields in Kuwait by Iraqi forces.

Don’t just condemn. Let’s all work together and put this thing right.

Sophie Basi

Warwick

You have only to look at today’s Middle East to realise it is obscene to try to redeem Blair’s reputation by reference to his achievements elsewhere. The most he should hope for is to be utterly forgotten.

He is not needed in the referendum campaign, doing Remain actual harm. Let it be remembered, he chose Bush over Chirac; some European!

Ann Marie Dowling

Love Blair or hate him, he is right to oppose Brexit. Love Corbyn or hate him, he is wrong to support Brexit.

Don Adamson

Rainham

In his defence of his former boss, Alastair Campbell describes Tony Blair as ‘the last leader of any party to win a majority’.

Alastair has forgotten that David Cameron won a small majority in 2015, which, of course, is how the sorry mess of the referendum and Brexit all began, as the referendum was the headline pledge in the 2015 Tory manifesto.

What is galling is that majority was secured with less than 37% of the votes cast in the 2015 election (votes cast, mind, not total electorate – it was less than 25% of that). Will o’ the people, don’t you know!

John Ingamells

Cromer

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