Do we like Tony Blair?
Our score: 5 out of 10. Real good (peace in Northern Ireland, LGBTQ+ law reform) sits against the Iraq findings and his recent push on trans issues and net zero.
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair was born in Edinburgh in 1953 and grew up mostly in Durham. His father, a lawyer, stood for Parliament as a Tory in 1963. Tony studied law at Oxford, fronted a rock band called the Ugly Rumors, then became Labour leader in 1994 and PM in 1997. He went on to be the first Labour leader to win three elections in a row.
In office he gave the Bank of England control of interest rates, brought in the minimum wage and helped finalise the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. On LGBTQ+ rights his government equalised the age of consent, repealed Section 28 and introduced civil partnerships in 2005. He has called Section 28 “pretty nasty” and gay rights “a significant part” of his legacy, and admitted Labour could have been bolder on civil partnerships.
Then there's Iraq. The 2016 Chilcot inquiry found Britain joined the 2003 invasion before peaceful options were exhausted, and that the 2002 dossier didn't support his claim on chemical and biological weapons. Blair said the report should lay to rest allegations of bad faith, lies or deceit, and that he acted in good faith. At his press conference he accepted mistakes in planning and process but said he believed “we made the right decision”.
On the harm check, it's a mixed bag. In a 2024 interview he said “A woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis”, while also saying people who want to change gender should be entitled to, and urging caution with young people. In his May 2026 essay he urged Labour to drop the parts of net zero that put clean energy ahead of cheaper energy, and to use remaining North Sea oil and gas. Where you land depends on whether you read that as common sense or as a step back for trans people and the planet.
On Gaza, Blair was the one name Trump's September 2025 plan put forward for a US-led Board of Peace, and he called the plan “bold and intelligent”. The Financial Times reported in December 2025 that diplomats from several Arab and Muslim states objected, and that he was no longer under consideration. A Blair ally disputed that regional opposition forced him out and said talks were ongoing. We couldn't confirm where things stand now.
The latest stoush is closer to home. Blair's essay said Labour is likely to lose the next election because of its “almost infinite capacity for self-delusion”, and named Rayner's employment rights bill, Miliband's net zero drive and Reeves's tax changes as mistakes. A senior Labour source hit back that he'd been “away with the tech bro fantasists”.