Tony Blair accuses Jeremy Corbyn of 'abject failure' over Brexit

Tory Blair will today accuse Jeremy Corbyn of an "abject failure" to stop Brexit.



The former Prime Minister will say it is "gut-wrenching" that the Labour leader has not led calls for a second EU referendum.

Mr Blair will also mount a strong defence of his time in office and attack "far left" critics of the government he led for a decade.

Speaking in central London, the three-time election winner will say that Theresa May's Brexit deal - which the Cabinet is expected to rubber-stamp later today - would leave the UK "tied still to Europe in reality".

"Whatever the people voted for, they didn’t vote for this,” he will say.

"I know it is said a new vote of the people will also divide. But a reconsideration in the light of all we now know, accepted by all as the final word, especially if accompanied by a new willingness on the part of Europe’s leadership and Britain’s to deal with the reasons for the Brexit decision, is the only hope of unity in the future.

"It is frankly gut-wrenching that this call is not being led by Labour as it should be."

Mr Blair will add: "The denigration of the Labour Party record in government and its designation by the far left as ‘neo-liberal’ is one of the most absurd and self-defeating caricatures of modern political history.

"The Labour party has paid, but more importantly the country has paid, a heavy price for this stupidity.

"It has undermined the achievements of the party in government. It has weakened the Labour party’s ability to win by depriving it of a unifying message which can reach the centre ground and led to the abject refusal of the Labour leadership to lead the country out of the Brexit nightmare."