In an op-ed published on Sunday, the former Labour leader also called for the introduction of a digital identity card so that Britons know “precisely who has the right to be here”.
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Former British Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair gave his advice on immigration to the new tenant of 10 Downing Street, Keir Starmer, on Sunday, July 7, in an op-ed published by the Sunday Times. The country “needs a plan to control immigration,” of a “strict new approach” in matters of security and justice and must “avoid any weakness on ‘wokeism'”.
The migration issue is one of the main concerns of the British, which contributed to the rise of the anti-immigration and anti-system party Reform UK in the legislative elections. On this point, “British politics has a lot in common with European politics”where traditional political parties “are undergoing destabilization”believes the former leader, citing the example of Francee and Italy.
Tony Blair also advocates the introduction of a digital identity card so that the British “know exactly who has the right to be here”. The UK does not have a national identity card. In 2023, it was made mandatory for the first time to present a form of photo identification (passport, driving license, bus pass for seniors, etc.) at a local election in England, which sparked fierce opposition. On Sunday, after leaving doubts hanging in the air in the morning, the new business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, dismissed the idea of such a digital identity card.
While Labour won a landslide victory in Thursday’s general election, Reform UK won over 14% of voters and entered Parliament with five MPs, including its leader, hard-right figure Nigel Farage. Tony Blair, who has remained discreet during the election campaign, believes that Reform UK “poses a challenge to Labour”even though he mainly took votes from the conservatives.