Former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair Says PM Boris Johnson Has No Plans For Britain's Future

Former British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair. (Wikimedia Commons/Web Summit)

JAKARTA - Sir Tony Blair says Prime Minister Boris Johnson lacks a coherent blueprint for dealing with the key strategic challenges facing Britain.

In remarks prepared and released ahead of an online address to be delivered this Thursday, the former British prime minister said whether or not PM Johnson survived the Downing Street dispute, the biggest problem was the lack of a plan for the country's future.

He said the resulting changes from Brexit, the technological revolution, and ambitions to become carbon neutral in 25 years pose an unprecedented set of challenges that governments are not prepared to tackle.

"There is a gaping hole in the British government where new ideas should be," Sir Tony Blair said in a statement released, citing The National News January 20.

"We are living through three revolutionary changes simultaneously and are not prepared for any of them. Each will require major changes in the way we work as a nation."

"Everything together poses a challenge unprecedented in recent history."

Sir Tony Blair would say the government's 'level up' slogan does little to explain the real problem in Britain.

"In addition to the desire to give opportunities to those who don't have them, which is obviously difficult to disapprove of, the slogan risks misdirecting the framing of the country's problems," he said.

"We are facing a national challenge, the whole country, not just the 'lagging' regions," continued Sir Tony Blair.

He added that he fully understands the 'outrage' at the reported Downing Street lockdown parties.

"Maybe Boris Johnson goes and maybe he doesn't. But the real problem is that there is no government plan for Britain's future."

To note, PM Johnson has faced criticism for his handling of the pandemic as a whole, as well as criticism over the party being held at the UK PM's official residence and office at 10 Downing Street as the country is under COVID-19 restrictions.