Luka Modric's nearly two-decade career with Croatia, marked by a pivotal 2006 qualifier against England, has seen him become a constant in a transforming national team. Despite Croatia's fluctuating fortunes, Modric's leadership and mentality have been key to their success, including a memorable 2018 World Cup semi-final win over England.
Letters critique Tony Blair's economic policies, arguing that poverty and inequality, not just the economy, need addressing. Critics point to a lack of action on wealth inequality and the negative long-term impacts of PFI deals.
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves is exploring public-private partnerships to fund new town developments in England, engaging with major banks and investment funds. This initiative aims to accelerate infrastructure projects, learning from past models like PFI and utilizing frameworks such as RAB.
Former UK ministers Tony Blair, Alan Milburn, and Rishi Sunak criticize the education system for failing to prepare students for life, emphasizing the need for financial literacy and practical skills.
Tony Blair's 5,000-word essay criticizing Labour's current direction has ignited divisions within the party, particularly among potential leadership challengers Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting, ahead of a crucial by-election and possible summer leadership challenge to Keir Starmer.
Labour MP Wes Streeting argues that while Tony Blair correctly identifies a historic rupture due to technological, geopolitical, and economic shifts, his intervention neglects the fundamental issue of inequality, which underpins the crises in western democracies. Streeting emphasizes that Labour must combine dynamism with fairness, ensuring the AI revolution serves the many, not just the privileged few, and advocates for a new relationship with Europe and independent foreign policy stances.
Tony Blair criticizes Labour leaders for abandoning the centre ground, risking the party's future and likely leading to election loss, advocating for welfare spending crackdown, oil/gas policy reversal, and improved US relations.
Tony Blair's essay criticizes Labour's current strategy, emphasizing his own electoral successes and advocating for a 'radical centre' approach, despite potential unpopularity among party members.
The Tony Blair Institute is restructuring its European operations, including its Brussels office, to focus on artificial intelligence and governing in the AI age. The firm aims to be a leading partner for governments navigating the global AI race.
Government admits no formal security vetting or due diligence was carried out before Prince Andrew's appointment as trade envoy in 2001. Documents reveal the Queen's wish for him to take the role.
A report by former Labour adviser Peter Hyman warns UK schools are failing young people, creating a "lost generation" of NEETs. It calls for radical education reform and a ban on social media for under-16s to address a "national scandal".
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsPolitics Live: Minister says Starmer is ‘listening’ but refuses to say if PM will stay on ahead of critical cabinet meetingStarmer on the brink as cabinet ministers urge him to quitThe UK’s long-term cost of borrowing has hit its highest level since early in Tony Blair’s first term as prime minister, as speculation swirls over Keir Starmer’s future.Reuters are reporting that the yield (or interest rate) on both 20 and 30-year bonds is the highest since 1998, rising over the highs seen early this month.UK 20-YEAR GILT YIELD RISES TO HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE JULY 1998 AT 5.734%, UP 12 BPS ON DAY - LSEG DATAUK 30-YEAR GILT YIELD RISES TO HIGHEST SINCE MAY 1998 AT 5.794%, UP 11 BPS ON DAY - LSEG DATAI spoke to the prime minister last night, as you would expect, and he is talking to colleagues who have raised issues yesterday.But he was also very clear, as I’m sure all of my colleagues are, that coming into the office this morning, as we all are doing, we’re absolutely focussed on our jobs, on delivering the things that we’ve promised to deliver for the public. Continue reading...
Prime minister will try to convince Labour MPs to back him after suffering major election losses last week Good morning. The news this morning is full of speculation about whether or not there will be a Labour leadership contest. A better way of explaining the situation might be to say that a leadership contest is already under way; Angela Rayner issued what was in effect her manifesto late yesterday afternoon (although she also hinted she would be happy for it to be delivered by Andy Burnham as leader), and Keir Starmer delivers what you could see as a hustings speech this morning.Leaders can survive challenges. In 1995 John Major was widely seen as doomed, but Michael Portillo postponed a decision to stand against him, Major easily saw off a challenge from John Redwood (the Catherine West of his day, in some respects), and Major survived another two years. In 2016 the vast majority of Labour MPs voted no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn, but he survived (because he was adored by Labour members, a benefit that Starmer does not enjoy). In 2006 Tony Blair accepted he would have to go. But he was allowed to work his notice for a year; Gordon Brown and his allies were powerful enough to force him out, but not to force him out quickly.To meet the challenges that our country faces, incremental change won’t cut it.On growth, defence, Europe, energy – we need a bigger response than we anticipated in 2024 because these are not ordinary times. Continue reading...
Replacing a leader is difficult, as Jeremy Corbyn proved – but MPs can apply pressure, publicly or privatelyMany Labour MPs believe Keir Starmer will not survive as Labour leader for long enough to fight the next election. What they cannot agree on, however – even after a disastrous set of results in this week’s elections – is how his departure might come about.The Labour rulebook makes it notoriously difficult to unseat a party leader: none has been formally ejected in the postwar period, though some, including Tony Blair, have resigned under pressure from their own MPs. Continue reading...
Brown will advise on global finance, while Harman will focus on tackling violence against women and girls and improving economic opportunitiesUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has brought in Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman as advisersin a move to ease the mounting pressure on the prime minister to resign after the disastrous election results for Labour.Brown, the former prime minister and long-serving chancellor under Tony Blair, has been made Starmer’s envoy on global finance, with a brief to advise on financial partnerships to help with defence-related investments, particularly with Europe. Continue reading...
Deprivation and inequality are behind the fall in healthy life expectancy, writes George Binette. Plus letters from Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, Dr Louise Lawson and Chris PhillipsonHelen McCarthy writes that today’s struggle “is the right to live a good, meaningful life, and to live it right to the end” (Britain pioneered the comfortable retirement – but that golden age is coming to an end, 2 May). Ironically, her column appeared days after the Health Foundation reported a notable fall of roughly two years in healthy life expectancy across the UK in the decade between 2012-14 and 2022-24 to below 61 years for both men and women – significantly below the state pension age. Among 21 high-income countries, Britain’s ranking slumped from 14th to 20th against this measure, ahead only of the US.The reasons for this relative and absolute decline are, of course, multifaceted, but there is an undeniable link to relative deprivation. With the state pension age continuing to rise and the Tony Blair Institute effectively calling for abolishing the meagre state pension, Prof McCarthy’s assertion that “the right to retire was yesterday’s struggle,” seems dubious at best. Pensioner poverty in Britain remains widespread and far worse than in France and Italy. Continue reading...
Report using research from senior Blair and Clinton pollster comes as Labour braces for dismal election resultsMay elections: What’s at stake across England, Wales and Scotland?UK politics live – latest updatesProgressive voters have been driven away from Labour by a lack of argument and vision from Keir Starmer, according to a report using research from a senior pollster to Tony Blair and Bill Clinton.Downing Street is understood to have been briefed on the research, which has also been handed to allies of the potential leadership candidates Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner. Continue reading...
Tom Watson, who had role in attempted coup against Tony Blair in 2006, said move would go down extremely badly with votersLabour MPs have been urged to stop plotting to remove Keir Starmer by Tom Watson, who as a junior minister spearheaded the last attempted coup against a Labour prime minister, faced by Tony Blair in 2006.Watson’s warning came as Steve Reed, the housing and communities secretary, and a key Starmer loyalist, said Labour would risk “annihilation” if it decided to try to change leaders. Continue reading...
The Tony Blair Institute has called for the state pension triple lock to be scrapped, labelling it outdated, increasingly unaffordable and too rigid. The thinktank proposes a 'lifespan fund' allowing flexible entitlement built through work, caring and study. The number of UK pensioners is projected to rise from 12.6 million today to nearly 19 million by 2070. However, Sir Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage have all committed to keeping the triple lock.
The Tony Blair Institute has urged Labour to scrap the pensions triple lock, calling it 'unaffordable' as Britain's ageing population drives up costs. The thinktank warns state pension spending will rise from 5% to 7.8% of GDP by 2070, adding £85bn annually. It proposes a pre-election pact to end the policy and replace it with a 'lifespan fund'. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the government will not drop the triple lock despite mounting financial pressure from Middle East conflict and inflation.
Labour faces catastrophic local election results in London next Thursday, with the Greens poised to win mayoralties in Lewisham and Hackney and seize inner-city councils. The collapse is particularly devastating as London has been Labour's strongest bastion for two decades. Voters cite Starmer's Gaza policy and anti-immigration rhetoric as reasons for abandoning the party, while Labour's abandonment of council housing—once its core vote-building strategy—has alienated working-class Londoners. The article argues the answer to Labour's London wipeout lies in the party's own decisions.
The Tony Blair Institute has urged the UK government to introduce an 'emergency handbrake' to reduce the number of people receiving health and disability benefits. The think tank proposes classifying conditions like mild depression, ADHD, anxiety, and lower back pain as 'non-work limiting', making claimants ineligible for cash benefits. With 1,000 people daily becoming eligible and spending forecast to reach £78.1bn by 2029-30, the TBI argues these changes could reduce long-term dependency. The proposals have been criticized by disability charity Scope as 'deeply unhelpful and ill-informed'.
This article analyzes Tony Blair's quote about integrity, exploring how moral responsibility matters more than short-term success. The piece discusses how the message applies to politics, business, education, and everyday life, emphasizing that ethical choices build trust and character over time.
Former minister leading review into young people and work cites survey showing most teachers decry lack of ‘soft skills’ An “exam-obsessed” school system is leaving young people unprepared for work, Alan Milburn has said, as new polling suggests teachers believe pupils are leaving education without the skills they need for adult life.Milburn, a former cabinet minister under Tony Blair and now leading a government-commissioned review into young people and work, said the system had become overly focused on academic sorting rather than real-world readiness. Continue reading...
