Tony Blair

Corbyn didn't go on holiday. He went away, in the UK, for three nights because it was his birthday.

"10 EU rallies, with speeches and meetings in London, Bristol, Stroud, Newquay, Perranporth, Cardiff, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Runcorn, Manchester, Truro, Sheffield, Widnes, Doncaster, Rotherham, Hastings, Brighton, Dundee, Aberdeen and Birmingham.
These included a meeting with student nurses in Birmingham, a factory in Runcorn, a clean beaches event in Truro and campaigning with activists in Scotland.
Launched the Labour In bus and the Ad Van.
A debate on Sky News with Faisal Islam, also talked about the EU on the Agenda and the Last Leg. Appeared on the Andrew Marr show twice and on Peston on Sunday.
Written two op-eds, one in the Observer and another in The Mirror.
Reached more than 10 million people on social media.
Six statements to the House of Commons and 10 PMQs on the EU.
He has been consistent on this issue from day one of his leadership, issuing a statement in September that “Labour will be campaigning in the referendum for the UK to stay in the European Union”." "

This is what Corbyn did in 33 days. Not bad, really, for someone who wasn't there. Haven't seen figures for Alan Johnson, or for Tony Blair.
Presumably you have them Annie?

Alan Johnson was the figurehead for Labour remain.

'Having just watched Clegg on daphne's link, Clegg could definitely do it.'

Clegg is an Arch Europhile, Clegg would have probably thought a bally good job in the European Commission was waiting for him and why should Clegg be deemed not to be another hypocrite over the EU Referendum result. He would be seen in the same vein as Blair, a established political elite with something to gain for himself.

People conveniently , selectively have a memory loss, the Lib Dems once promoted having an EU Referendum once but no doubt if things had gone against them would be doing as they are today, calling for another Referendum until presumably they can stop stamping the floor in indignation because the vote went against them.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6995032.stm.

"Lib Dems call for EU referendum.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.

Party leader Sir Menzies Campbell earlier this week refused to back calls for a referendum on the EU treaty.

But he said the public deserved an "honest debate" on Europe - and "that means a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU"

Another episode happily forgotten was in 2008 when the Lib Dems , again wanting to debate an EUReferendum walked out of Parliament.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7265516.stm

"Lib Dem frontbencher Edward Davey has been ordered out of the Commons, after angry protests to the deputy speaker.
Mr Davey was annoyed at the decision not to allow MPs to debate and vote on a Lib Dem call for a referendum to be held on the UK's membership of the EU.

Deputy Speaker Sir Michael Lord acted after Mr Davey defied warnings. Fellow Lib Dems then walked out in support.

The Lib Dems support the EU treaty and UK membership of the EU. They oppose a referendum on the treaty itself.

The protest came as MPs began the latest day of debate on the Lisbon Treaty - something the Conservatives, some Labour and some Lib Dem MPs have said should be subject to a referendum."

How easy some people forget the Nick Clegg poster 'It's Time For A Real Referendum In Europe'.

How times change.

Gill, if Corbyn had a scrap of decency and cared fir the party he would resign.

Too late now for a new, young leader , they will want to wait untill the party has united again.

I think Yvette Cooper would be a good choice, she was part of Blairs government and also with Milliband, she is calm but can match May

Jen, I blamed Corbyn for failing the party, he refused to take part in tv debates, he even went on holiday . Alan Johnson did take part in tv debates , but Corbyn was the leader and should have led not hid or gone on holiday.

If labour take Stoke he will be there claiming the glory as party leader.

Margaret Hodge was right - he is a devious man

Well I certainly believe many posters, including myself have said Labour and Corbyn put in a weak show during the referendum campaign and I will let Anniebach answer your thought she has not.

Alan Johnson did criticise Corbyn, this was repeated so many times nobody could have failed to miss it, just one example:-

www.itv.com/news/update/2016-06-27/johnson-corbyns-office-worked-against-rest-of-party/

"Everyone else needs to make their own assessment as to whether more could have been done to prevent this disastrous result. I will certainly do this, as I hope will the Leader’s Office. At times it felt as if they were working against the rest of the Party and had conflicting objectives."

I am not particularly interested in Anniebach I am making the point solely on the discussion set up in the OP and if you agree with ALL Tony Blair said then you agree with him when he said :-

“The debilitation of the Labour party is the facilitator of Brexit. I hate to say that, but it is true,”

Having just watched Clegg on daphne's link, Clegg could definitely do it.
He's also a fluent speaker in German, Spanish, French and Dutch, all of which come in handy. He has worked in Brussels in the trade commission under Leon Brittan. He has also worked with the WTO. I think the remain group needs to get him to work for them, before May realises he's the perfect person to work for Brexit.

Lifted this from mumsnet, and copied it as this summarises my views exactly:

- I'm no great fan of TB either, although I don't have the visceral hatred of him that lots of others seem to! He seems have the rare talent of uniting all sides against him and my first reaction on hearing the speech was 'Oh no, not bloody Blair again!'

However... as an ardent Remainer, I'm genuinely struggling to think of anyone else who could do it. Corbyn's useless and ambivalent about the EU anyway; the Lib Dems have tried, but they can't get the media exposure (and Clegg seems almost as tainted by the coalition/tuition fees as Blair is by Iraq); Remain MPs of all parties (Ken Clarke being an honourable exception) are too terrified of the consequences to do anything meaningful...

I think part of the reason Blair's acting now is precisely because no one else is stepping up. He's immediately recognisable (albeit not in a good way!) and has an automatic media platform and great contacts. He's already hated by so many that he has nothing left to lose popularity-wise (as opposed to MPs who are terrified of losing their seats), and he's old enough, rich enough and thick-skinned enough not to worry too much about the opposition. Who else do we have in the same position? And is there anyone high profile in politics who is genuinely whiter than white and can't be discredited for speaking out?

David Miliband is the only other name who comes to mind, but I doubt he has the appetite for it.

Annie does not say that Labour put in a weak performance. She specifically criticises Corbyn. My link shows others who were just as bad if not worse.
Alan Johnson was the Labour leader in the remain camp. Why does she not criticise him?

"In fact, all of the survey evidence on how individual voters behaved on June 23 indicates that a clear majority of those who voted Labour in 2015 and who turned out for the referendum backed Remain. According to the largest such survey, based on a panel of over 30,000 voters interviewed on behalf of the British Election Study (BES), no fewer than 71 per cent of 2015 election Labour voters voted for Remain. A poll of 12,000 voters conducted by Lord Ashcroft on polling day put the figure at 63 per cent – somewhat lower but still well over half. A sample of 5,000 also polled on the day published by YouGov put it at 65 per cent."

From an article in the New Statesman.
Three polls showing that between 63 and 71% of Labour voters voted to remain, yet Corbyn gets the flack for losing. Why?
Conservatives must have taken even less notice of their leaders.

By the way, it's an old link because only it only mattered just after the referendum. Those figures and people can't change between then and now. It's just that Annie hasn't given up blaming Corbyn for everything.

durhamjen

Doesn't your link to 'politico.eu ' actually prove the point Anniebach and many other posters have said before, Labour and especially Corbyn were weak during the EU Referendum? You have always argued differently so I am confused.

Is your point in raising the link to agree finally that Labour and Corbyn did put in a poor performance and also agree with Tony Blair in his speech to OPEN EUROPE who criticised them too?

Your link is an 'old' one but it says this:-

"Remain lost because Labour voters turned out for Leave. In part, this happened because, while the Labour Party wanted to stay In, its leader obviously wanted to get Out. Focus groups were clear that voters had picked up on Corbyn’s ambivalence towards the EU, and that his pro-Remain speeches sounded more like hostage videos than rallying calls. Of course, it turned out that Labour’s voters were equally skeptical — but thanks to Corbyn’s ambivalence, the party’s Europhile MPs and activists could not persuade them otherwise. The argument that Brexit was a right-wing conspiracy was just waiting to be made. Instead voters got the impression the party was divided, or just didn’t care very much. A special mention here too for the near-invisible Alan Johnson, the leader of campaign group Labour In, whose performance is best described, to use a Trump-ism, as “low-energy.”

In fact your link says this about Boris:-

"Johnson will surely seize the spoils of victory by succeeding David Cameron as prime minister".

We know that didn't work out as per your link. I am not sure what you are trying to prove to be honest.

www.politico.eu/article/12-people-who-brought-about-brexit-leave-remain-referendum-campaign-euroskeptics-tension/

Not just Corbyn to blame for Brexit, although some people find it hard to believe.

So much said on the .iraq war, wonder what it was like for leaders following the twin towers atrocity

As for the enquiry , all papers should have been available , everything Bush said, everything the secret services said .

I have not changed my views on the Iraq war but so many unanswered questions we will never be given answers to

Jen, he dodged campaigning during the Brexit campaign, he was the first on the news the day after the result to say it must be acted upon quickly. He isn't bothered with democracy, he has always wanted out. He is supporting the result because it's the result he wanted.

As for Iraq, Blair as PM put his case to the Commons and they voted on it. - unfortunately his "case" was not based on the truth - bit of a slip-up there.

As to Brexit - Blair can pronounce all he wants (and he may be right in the eyes of many) but he has no credibility and does not enhance any view he might propound.

What is he supposed to do, Annie? Not go along with the will of the majority? Is that your idea of democracy?

Poor Corbyn, he us putting all his energy into supporting Brexit , well the Guardie is listening to him.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/18/people-are-dying-at-the-hands-of-austerity-says-jeremy-corbyn

He has been seen sitting on a train floor and hiding behind a glass door , and he doesn't want to be harassed by questions

Whoops! "ineffectual". Can't do double consonants.

Has Corbyn ever been out of hiding?
I have never known such an invisible and innefectual leader of the opposition.
We need a Labour party leader with some enthusiasm who will inspire the party. It looks to me as if Corbyn might be chronically depressed.

And if Corbyn hadn't gone into hiding avoiding the Brexit campaign but spoke up with the party the vote might not have gone that way

Blair caused lots of problems with PFI, all of which Corbyn voted against.
He always voted for sufficient funding for social care, education and the NHS, but PFI wasn't the right way.
He voted against tuition fees and the trebling of tuition fees.
Are you saying he was wrong?
He also voted against the Iraq war, as did many Labour MPs. If Blair hadn't lied to the commons about WMD, the vote might not have gone that way.

Well said Ginny,

Well, I for one was glad to hear Blair's speech. Whilst you might not agree with some of his past decisions, he was a powerful politician and leader of the Labour Party. During his terms of office our NHS, education, and social care received sufficient funding. Where was JC then?

As for Iraq, Blair as PM put his case to the Commons and they voted on it. Every single MP who opted for war has the same blood on their hands. As do the Security Services and the army leadership, i.e.superior orders no defence - Nuremberg Doctrine.

Blair has nailed it for me. Sorry Jeremy but he's stolen the speech you should have made! I don't see why continuing to challenge and debate whether we are heading in the right direction, is seen to be so undesirable by some, by whom I mean the population at large.

It's beyond disgraceful that anyone should gainsay the findings of the Savile Report and particularly so in order to make a cheap political point. The day the report was published, DC apologised on behalf of the British Government in what was considered by many a very moving and heartfelt speech. He acknowledged that the paratroopers had fired the first shot, had fired on fleeing unarmed civilians and shot and killed one man who was already wounded. How quickly we rewrite the history that we don't want to admit to.

But niggly the people who were shot were certainly unarmed. Lets put it like this if your child was in town attending a public meeting and at the same time a bank robber fired a gun would you be happy for the British army to turn up and shoot your child? Because that is what it was, British soldiers shooting unarmed British citizens. It was wrong, admit it, everyone else has.