Tony Blair on the Remainiacs podcast

I gave my verdict on Tony Blair when he stood down as prime minister in 2007:

Today's media consensus is that the public has undergone a long process of disillusionment with Tony Blair. 

My own experience has been the reverse. When he was first elected it seemed obvious to me that he was an actor more than a statesman - and a terribly bad actor at that. All those speeches with his voice thick with unshed tears - the best known is his reaction to the death of the Princess of Wales, but there were many more - were so palpably insincere that I was convinced that the public would see through him any day. 

Well, it took years to happen, and by the time it did I started to find myself with a grudging respect for his longevity and skill as a political operator.

Which means that I am more prepared than many Liberal Democrats to listen to him today.

Blair's appearance on the Remainiacs podcast is worth your time. He is particularly good on the folly of calling a referendum in the hope that the public will reject the change being offered.