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Britain is failing to prepare for a high-tech future where our jobs are taken away by artificial intelligence, Tony Blair warned today.

The former Labour Prime Minister suggested countries like Germany had been long-preparing for automation to revolutionise industry and transform the economy.

But, he says, Britain isn’t even talking about it because the main parties were both stuck in the 1960s.

Asked if he thought Jeremy Corbyn would be a good Prime Minister, he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I think the problem with that old left programme is that it just doesn’t meet the needs of the times and the danger for the country and look, all I do when I speak on these things is get a shedload of abuse so why am I doing?

“I am actually really worried about the country at the moment. I think if you follow up Brexit with a hard left economic programme, this country is going to be in real trouble. The fact is they aren’t solutions, they are two different visions of the 1960s when this country needs to work out an agenda for the future.”

(Image: Barcroft Media)

He said the country would be ill-prepared because Labour were looking back to an old fashioned leftist agenda and the Tories were obsessed with Brexit and immigration.

He said: “You just take one very simple thing which is the influence of automation, artificial intelligence, big data. This is going to transform the economy. If you take the Germans, they’ve had this programme that they have been running for some time now on the digitalisation of industry, it sounds very ethereal and who the hell cares but it’s going to change their ability to operate in this modern world that technology is revolutionising.

“We’re not even debating these things, they’re not even part of our agenda. How do you redefine a welfare and retirement system and things like social care but for today’s world? We are still debating those in terms of do we spend more money, do we not spend more money?

“We are nowhere near, in my view, in this country at the moment articulating an agenda for the future and that’s because we’re stuck with one political party that’s defined by Brexit and an attitude in immigration that again in my point of view is just out of date and the other with an old style leftist programme which is, okay I understand why it generate enthusiasm but it isn’t an answer.”

(Image: PA)

Asked if he believed Corbyn’s agenda was one of the 1960s, he added: “Well it’s, look to be fair to Jeremy he has never changed his position, not since the first time I came across him in the late 70s, early 80s but it’s not an answer to the country’s problems.”

But he denied Corbyn’s popularity meant the current Labour party was right and he was wrong.

He said: “You are absolutely right that it did have an impact, that’s true but unfortunately it doesn’t make the policies right.”

Elsewhere in the interview he said he felt “sorry” for Theresa May as she was surrounded by people waiting to “throw her off the ledge”.

But he “profoundly” disagrees with the Prime Minister on Brexit, saying she should provide “more leadership”.

Mr Blair also said it is “possible now that Brexit doesn’t happen’’, adding it is “absolutely necessary that it doesn’t happen’’ due to the economic and political “damage’’ it is doing to the UK. He said Labour is “providing the opposition up to a point’’ but he would like to see the party “go further’’ over Brexit.