‘Stuck in his glory days’: Blunkett and others cast doubt on Blair’s advice to the Labour party

Ex-PM perceived as out of touch and having a credibility problem even if parts of analysis are seen as hard to dispute

David Blunkett had a chat with his old boss Tony Blair just a few months ago. “I can have very constructive disagreements with him and still stay friendly – as it should be,” the former Labour cabinet minister said with a chuckle.

The current generation of senior Labour figures are perhaps a little less warmly disposed towards Blair after his latest intervention in contemporary politics – an essay lashing out at Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting, followed by a prime 8.10 slot on the Today programme.