Ep. 36 : Tony Blair interview — Food bank furor — MEP of the week

<p>Tony Blair came to Brussels this week with a clear message, delivered in this week's interview: I’m trying to stop Brexit, and there’s only one shot left — European immigration controls. If that idea or a second British Brexit referendum fails, Europe will be left with an angrier bigger version of Singapore undercutting its business and social model on its doorstep.</p> <p>Highlights from the show:</p> <p>Hard Brexit will mean big, angry European version of Singapore: If Brexit continues on its current course, Blair predicts there will be &quot;a long and difficult period of economic restructuring&quot; in Britain. As part of that process, the U.K. will become &quot;a competitor to Europe, not an ally&quot; and will &quot;attract investment basically by pointing the finger at Europe and saying 'we're not like them,'&quot; he said. &quot;That's the future and that has massive implications for your welfare system, your pension system, your health care system.”</p> <p>Immigration fears: Blair admits he could have done more within EU freedom of movement rules to preemptively tackle immigration fears. &quot;I think that frankly what I didn't really understand fully is how different countries in Europe deal with the existing freedom rules in Europe. If you take for example what the French do or how the Belgians deal with them, they just apply these rules in a much tougher way. In Belgium you're given two months to find a job and if you don’t, you're out.&quot;<br /> Tories would be crazy to hold an election rather than a second Brexit referendum: Blair explains why he thinks one of those options is inevitable.</p> <p>U.K. government handling of Northern Ireland: &quot;It makes me very angry, I think it's totally irresponsible.&quot;</p> <p>What Blair thinks is wrong with Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit policy: Being satisfied with a bespoke customs union with the EU would mean the Labour Party &quot;pulled up its anchor … without actually getting to the truly safe harbour which is to turn the fire on the whole Tory strategy.