Tony Blair’s plea to Labour members in today’s Guardian bears the snappy title of “Even if you hate me, please don’t take Labour over the cliff edge”.
Much like his ‘heart transplant’ speech, the only man to lead Labour to power since 1974 tries to tackle Corbynism head on.
It’s hard to see what good it will do.
Not only is Blair tied to the past, as we have explained before, but given the depths of the antipathy he inspires in much of the party, it’s difficult to believe there’s even a single voter in this leadership election who both values Blair’s input and is considering voting for Jeremy Corbyn.
Despite being the only man to lead Labour to power since Harold Wilson in 1974, Blair himself seems to realise this.
He has only published his thoughts after the closure of registration to vote, preventing his words from spurring even more Corbynites to sign up.
If they truly want to save their party, the titans of the routed right should recognise that they’re not the people who’ll stop Corbyn.
If interventions by members of the last Labour administration are going to count, they’re going to have to come from the architects of the current crisis: those great repudiators of Blairism, Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband.
Each has a cachet with the Labour left that might actually win them a hearing with the crucial section of Corbyn’s support which still values the prospect of government.
Neither has waded into the battle as Blair has done – so far. Labour moderates had best hope they’re waiting for a crucial moment closer to the voting.