Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Monday that Western governments could not ignore voter angst about immigration and also expect to quell populist uprisings that have flourished in the United States and across Europe.
Blair spoke less than two miles from the White House at a conference sponsored by Niskanen Center, a center-right think tank dedicated to opposing President Trump and the populist nationalism he has injected into the Republican Party.
Without mentioning Trump, Blair laid bare his pointed opposition to the brand of populist nationalism the president practices. But he said it is critical to distinguish between voters’ legitimate societal frustrations and what some politicians may do to manipulate them.
“The populists exploit grievance, but they don’t invent them. The grievances are real,” Blair said. “Immigration without adequate controls causes anxiety, and for understandable reasons.
“There are communities and people who are casualties of globalization and who feel neglected and left behind. Their concerns are heartfelt and they need redress,” Blair said. “There are people who are worried about immigration who are prejudiced. But, not all people worried about immigration are prejudiced.
“The questions the populists raise are often right. The trouble is they’re more interested in finding scapegoats, than solutions,” Blair said.
Blair, 65, was prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997–2007 and is the last member of the center-left Labour Party to win the top post in multiple elections. First allied with President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, he formed an equal bond with President George W. Bush, a Republican.
Blair’s address capped Niskanen’s daylong conference, titled: “Beyond Left and Right: Reviving Moderation in an Era of Crisis and Extremism.” The event functioned in part as a forum for conservatives uncomfortable with a Trump-led Republican Party. Blair noticeably kept his distance from that portion of the conversation, even when prodded.
Blair did not shy away from arguing against some of Trump’s approach toward Europe, particularly the president’s occasional suggestions that NATO is outdated and that Washington might choose to exit the pact.
“If we’re not engaged in the world, then our ability to effect things that ultimately will come to our own shores is constrained,” Blair said.
