Tony Blair Urges Labour to Agree on Growth Plan Before Leadership Change

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said the Labour government lacks a coherent plan and is in the wrong political position to win a second term. In the essay published late Tuesday by his Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Blair wrote that the government's principal problem is not Keir Starmer's personality but the absence of a worked-out strategy for a fast-changing world.

Blair called for a shift to radical centrism that prioritizes cheap energy over clean energy, overhauls planning regulations, places economic growth at the center of policy, and reduces welfare spending. He singled out new workers' rights laws, the increase in employer National Insurance contributions, and the above-inflation rise in the minimum wage as measures that have created headwinds for business.

Blair also urged the government to limit parts of the net-zero agenda that favor clean energy over cheaper energy.

Blair warned that attempting to oust Starmer before settling on a policy direction is not a serious way to conduct politics. Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson said the government is taking big steps to change the country and pointed to recent economic growth figures and planning reforms as evidence of progress.

Blair stated that Britain has lost from Brexit but argued that reversing it is not the answer to the country's current challenges. He said any future structured relationship with the European Union must be pursued from a position of economic strength.

" — Tony Blair, May 27, 2026 (BBC News) Labour MP Chris Curtis described the essay as refreshing for grappling with major issues, while Labour MP Rachael Maskell called the timing unhelpful ahead of three parliamentary by-elections next month.