The dishonesty of Tony Blair

Blair has lost his magnetism, he is past his sell  by date. Anyone who follows politics even slightly knows he has been enriching himself giving advice to bloodthirsty dictators. But he still thinks we will follow him to his promised land of the EU.

How hideously, in this debate, is the mantle of patriotism abused. We do not argue for Britain in Europe because we are citizens of nowhere. We argue for it precisely because we are proud citizens of our country who believe that in the 21st Century, we should maintain our partnership with the biggest political union and largest commercial market right on our doorstep; not in diminution of our national interest, but in satisfaction of it.

With utter cynicism Blair redefines the Brexit question. If we stayed in the EU, we would not have a partnership with the political union, we would be part of it. Indeed, it is only by leaving that political union that we can, if we wish, then have a partnership.

Similarly, you cannot have a partnership with a market that you are part of. If you are outside the organisation, then you can choose to have a partnership with it … whatever that weasel phrase means. Or not.

And he arbitrarily claims that the immigration most people are worried about is the immigration from the outside the EU. He has no evidence for this at all, but then he makes the circular argument that “Brexit doesn’t affect the immigration people most care about”.

So Blair has chosen to take a stand against the democratic verdict of the referendum, alongside the discredited Nick Clegg and that political colossus Tim Farron.

Iain Duncan Smith dismissively says, “I suppose he learnt this disregard for democracy over the last few years from the friends he was advising in Kazakhstan”.

Well, quite. Leavers should be happy to have the dishonest Blair opposing us.