Theresa May will be next Prime Minister, Tony Blair predicts

Tony Blair said Labour should concentrate on providing a 'strong opposition'
PA
Tom Powell27 April 2017
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Tony Blair has said he expects Theresa May to win the election and that Labour should instead focus on becoming a “strong opposition”.

The former leader claimed the race to become Prime Minister was “not the issue” because all polls suggest Mrs May will retain a comfortable majority.

Mr Blair argued Jeremy Corbyn’s party should concentrate its effort on returning enough MPs to hold the future Tory government to account during two years of choppy Brexit negotiations and beyond.

He told Sky News: “If the polls are right, we know who is going to be Prime Minister on June 9. That's not the issue.”

Theresa May is a clear favourite to win on June 8, ahead of Jeremy Corbyn and Tim Farron 
PA

He continued: “I think the real issue is blank cheque. It’s what mandate does she claim both on Brexit and on the health service, education and all the other things?

“I think the most powerful argument for Labour in this election because of the way the polls are and the way the opinion polls are on the leadership issue, the most powerful argument for Labour is to say it’s important for our democracy that the Government is held properly to account and she needs a strong opposition.”

It comes after a survey revealed Mrs May’s leadership score had soared higher than either Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair enjoyed in their best years.

The Ipsos MORI survey shows the Conservatives on 49 per cent, with an extraordinary 23 per cent lead over Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour who are on 26.

Mr Blair argued that voters need to understand exactly what leaving the European single market means for the country.

He said: "What the Tories have done very cleverly is give people a national interest reason for voting Tory. What they have said is look, the patriotic thing, irrespective of your politics, is to vote Conservative because she needs a strong hand in the negotiation which is a very persuasive argument.

"Until you realise that she has tied her own hands in the negotiation, the Prime Minister, by saying I'm not going to put the single market on the table.

"People have really got to understand the difference between the single market and the free trade agreement.

"I mean one is the Champion's League, the other is League One."

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