Tony Blair has lambasted bumbling Jeremy Corbyn for 'failing the British people' - complaining that Labour is giving the Tories 'zero' cause for concern.

The former Prime Minister stepped up criticism of the veteran left-winger's stewardship, saying the party was not engaging with the modern world.

The intervention comes amid growing fears over Labour's prospects after persistently dire polls and poor public showings from Mr Corbyn.

Election expert Professor John Curtice warned at the weekend that there could be a disastrous 12-point swing away from the party to the Conservatives at next month's local elections.

Former PM Tony Blair has stepped up his criticism of Jeremy Corbyn, saying Labour is 'failing the British people'

Shadow cabinet ministers admitted the forecasts were 'pretty depressing'.

In an interview with Labour MPs Wes Streeting and Ruth Smeeth for Progress magazine, Mr Blair said 'to develop a new progressive agenda for today's world'.

'The next generation of technology, artificial intelligence, automation, big data, it's going to transform the workplace,' he said.

'What's our answer to it? We don't have an answer to that question, we're nowhere.'

He added: 'We [have] failed in what is our fundamental duty to the British people, that is to be a competitive opposition.

'Just ask yourself one simple question: In the Prime Minister's office, in Tory high command, how much of their time do they spend worrying about the prospect of a Labour victory at the present time? I would guess zero.'

Mr Blair said Mr Corbyn's efforts to win a majority of the public over to 'left wing populism' was doomed to disaster and Labour should be trying to re-claim the political centre ground.

'If you put a right-wing populism up against a leftist populism, the right-wing populism will win every time. In the end, the lesson is the same, but we can spend 20 days, 20 months or 20 years relearning it. If we want to return to power, that's how,' he said.

Mr Corbyn is under increasing pressure after a string of dire public performances and dreadful poll ratings

Mr Blair also rebuked Mr Corbyn and his left-wing allies for trashing the achievements of his three-term Labour government.

'The people on the far-left always want to present this as if there was a battle between them, who are very principled, and us, who are just power-hungry,' he said.

He added: 'For us to denigrate our own record is crazy.

'When I left office in 2007, satisfaction levels with the health service were virtually at record levels, because of investment and the reform.

'That's not a betrayal of principles, it's the implementation of it.'