Last week, war criminal and former prime minister Tony Blair published a 5,700 word essay lambasting Starmer, Streeting, Burnham, and the Labour Party as a whole – and generally just blowing smoke up his own behind.
But in between lines of vainglorious self-praising and unhelpful criticism, you can find a more-or-less clear expression of the demands of the British capitalists – straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
Notably, the demands that Blair places upon Starmer and the Labour Party seem politically impossible. This reflects the impasse of British capitalism.
Tony Blair says he is “anxious” and “pessimistic” about Labour’s future.
“There’s no point in deciding who leads the country on the basis of personality unless you understand our purpose in governing”.@jonsopel pic.twitter.com/OoaWN1I5p6
— The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) May 27, 2026
Blair argues that Starmer should drop attempts at net zero carbon emissions, keep the minimum wage down, and ditch workers’ rights legislation. His proposal? “Go all out for making business feel respected and supported”!
Despite the fact Starmer and Reeves have bent over backwards for big business since day one, Blair, speaking on behalf of the capitalist class, feels that has not been enough.
He also argues that Starmer should’ve dove headfirst into the Iran War, and should really be cosying up to Trump at any cost.
Yes, this is completely tone deaf, but it also nakedly exposes the precarious position the British state finds itself in on the world stage: it is forced to cling desperately onto the so-called ‘special relationship’ with the US, but it is also unable to withstand the economic and political turmoil (and humiliation) resulting from being Trump’s lapdog.
Unsurprisingly, the former PM also calls for a crackdown on welfare spending – in favour of militarism, speculation in AI, and appeasing investors. But this is easier said than done: such measures would risk sparking intense class struggle.
Blair’s essay encapsulates the pressures on Starmer from above. But the inevitable backlash, should he follow any of the advice from the devil on his shoulder, shows the almighty pressure from below that has rendered this Labour government inept and paralysed.
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