Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Ed Miliband will lose general election under 'left-wing' Labour, warns Tony Blair

Former PM casts doubt on the prospect of Labour leader taking party to victory at next year’s general election

Nigel Morris
Wednesday 31 December 2014 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Tony Blair has cast fresh doubt on the prospect of Ed Miliband of leading Labour to victory at next year’s general election.

The former Prime Minister said he feared the result on 7 May could well be an election “in which a traditional left-wing party competes with a traditional right-wing party, with the traditional result”.

Asked if he meant a Conservative win, he replied: “Yes, that is what happens.”

Mr Blair, who won three elections, said he saw no evidence to back up Mr Miliband’s claim that the political centre ground had shifted to the left.

“I am still very much New Labour and Ed would not describe himself in that way, so there is obviously a difference there,” he told The Economist. “I am convinced the Labour Party succeeds best when it is in the centre ground”.

In his New Year message today, Mr Miliband describes 2015 as a “year of possibility” when the voters have chance to change direction and get a “recovery that reaches your kitchen table”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in