News / Politics

Former PM Blair in renewed interference in coronavirus management

Sunday, 26 July 2020 4:05 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 26 July 2020 4:05 PM ]

Despite his advancing years Tony Blair refuses to depart the political arena

Former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has once again waded into the complex debates on coronavirus management strategy by way of repositioning himself at the heart of British politics.

Tony Blair steps up coronavirus intervention

Former PM Tony Blair is exploiting the government

In an interview with Sky News, Blair claimed that the UK will be “living with COVID-19” for the “foreseeable future”.

Blair, who was Labor PM between 1997 and 2007, tried to directly intervene in politics by urging current PM, Boris Johnson, to “put measures in place to contain and control the virus to prevent a new surge of cases in the autumn”.

Blair also struck a critical note in the interview by accusing the Tory government of “inconsistent messages” on the wearing of face masks, which became compulsory in shops in England on July 24.

The former PM was interviewed by one of Sky News’ leading presenters, Sophy Ridge, primarily it seems to promote the work of his thinktank on coronavirus management strategy.

In its latest report on the coronavirus, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBIGC), vehemently argues for compulsory wearing of face masks as the most effective means of preventing a dreaded second surge of Covid-19 infections in the autumn or winter.

Blair uses his thinktank as the primary vehicle to advance his political agenda both at national and international levels.

In recent years the TBIGC has waded into sensitive international issues, all the while refusing to be fully transparent about its sources of funding.