It is rare for former prime ministers to engage in debates about public policy nearly 20 years after they left office. Other than the most general observations, they tend to avoid interventions. So, when Tony Blair offered 5,700 words of criticism directed at the party he led for 13 years, it was obviously significant. Much – though not all – of his analysis was manifestly aimed at Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Claims in Blair’s essay included Starmer’s apparent lack of vision, his drift over difficult decisions (most obviously welfare reform), his government’s failure to prioritise economic growth, and the absence of a consistent account of what it is actually doing in office.

Labour’s time in government has indeed been disappointing for many supporters. And the former prime minister was also critical of the leading contenders to challenge Starmer, Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting. Changing the leadership was, he indicated, a distraction.

At the same time, it was hard to know quite what to make of the Blair essay. He covers so much ground and flays out at so many targets that it comes over at points as little more than a rant. The former premier lines up targets and proceeds to knock them down very quickly – sometimes without explanation. Net zero environmental targets? Abandon them. What’s next? (A subsequent article by Blair was softer on some points, particularly on........

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