Latest Tony Blair Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• I had no intention of returning into the British political debate, really at all, even though I've obviously got very strong views on it, until Brexit happened, because I think Brexit is a destiny-changing decision for my country.

  Tony Blair

  Country, Strong, Thinking

  Source: www.politico.com

• I've never ruled out the possibility of going back into public service.

  Tony Blair

  Possibility, Public Service

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• The trouble is nowadays that parts of the media operate in a very partisan way. There's no point in complaining about it, that's the way it is. But let's be clear, a lot of it is driven by the views of a pretty small number of people, rather than a normal standard of journalism.

  Tony Blair

  Views, Media, Numbers

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• I do believe that if you reach a just and fair settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians it will have a massive influence on countering extremism. Which is not to say that the Israel-Palestinian situation is the source of the problem, but it is very potent fuel.

  Tony Blair

  Believe, Israel, Fuel

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• There are big questions about the sort of skills you need in modern government today. You put politicians in charge of billions of dollars with absolutely no training and very little support system around them. It's an extraordinary thing.

  Tony Blair

  Skills, Support Systems, Government

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• There are two outstanding issues in democratic politics these days. One is the relationship with the media, which is now 24/7, and operates with a completely different intensity than even 15 or 20 years ago. How do we have a proper conversation between leaders and country when it's moderated sometimes in a very partisan and inflammatory way? And the second thing is the effectiveness of our democracy. How do we get the right gene and talent pool in politics?

  Tony Blair

  Country, Media, Years

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• Actually the royal family were very gracious and good to me. But I also found that the British establishment were never quite sure what to make of me. I was a Labour figure, but I'd come from a very middle-class background. In one sense I offended both traditional right and traditional left. But I thought that was no bad thing.

  Tony Blair

  Class, Never Quit, Royal

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• There's a deep affection and respect for the Queen and the monarchy in the U.K. But Diana was an extraordinary, iconic figure and her death sparked a fierce reaction, part grief and part anger at her being taken away. It was very fraught.

  Tony Blair

  Queens, Taken, Grief

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• I'm not asking you to agree with me, but at least open your mind.

  Tony Blair

  Mind, Asking, Agree

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• For me, 9/11 was a game changer. It altered my perception of the security threat we faced. I took the position that Britain should be shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. It was a big decision; I didn't take it lightly, or in ignorance of its consequences. It's a big commitment for a country to give, but I believed it was the right thing to do.

  Tony Blair

  Country, Ignorance, Commitment

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• I'm afraid that's in the nature of modern politics - it's as much conducted by abuse as argument.

  Tony Blair

  Abuse, Argument, Modern

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• Obviously it is right that the Afghans take responsibility for their own future in the end, but they need to know and feel that we are there as partners for them if they are prepared to make the necessary changes. But we should be in no doubt as to why we are in Afghanistan. We ended up there because terrorism hatched there erupted thousands of miles away in New York on Sept. 11.

  Tony Blair

  New York, Responsibility, Doubt

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• I think what happened with 9/11 is that people sort of felt that it came from nowhere. Whereas I think now we understand the roots are very deep. I say it's like revolutionary Communism, something that is going to have to be knocked out over a very long period of time. This strain of extremism continues to be very strong, whether it's in Afghanistan, or Somalia or Yemen, or any of these places.

  Tony Blair

  Strong, Thinking, Roots

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• I still think the world is better off and safer without Saddam Hussein.

  Tony Blair

  Thinking, World, Hussein

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• You wouldn't be human if you didn't feel both a sense of responsibility and a deep sadness for those who have lost their lives.

  Tony Blair

  Responsibility, Sadness, Lost

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• Saddam was a threat, that the threat had to be dealt with.

  Tony Blair

  Threat, Saddam

  Source: www.macleans.ca

• Stirring is OK. It just depends what happens in the end.

  Tony Blair

  Ends, Stirring, Happens

  Source: www.pbs.org

• I'm one of these people that, once you have had your election and you have elected your candidate, let's see what actually happens.

  Tony Blair

  People, Election, Happens

  Source: www.pbs.org

• NATO's got a vital role to play. It's very important that we protect NATO.

  Tony Blair

  Play, Important, Roles

  Source: www.pbs.org

• If you're living in a community that's become fragmented and left behind, there's not proper investment in it and so on, in the end, the answer is to make sure that we go and we help those communities, we educate the people properly, we build the necessary infrastructure of support for people.

  Tony Blair

  People, Support, Community

  Source: www.pbs.org

• We have taken a situation in the U.K. because of concerns, for example, over immigration and other things, so Britain now is on a path out of Europe.

  Tony Blair

  Taken, Europe, Immigration

  Source: www.pbs.org

• People divide into groups where they talk to each other, but don't talk across the divide. And yet most of the challenges we face in the world today are challenges that are to do with trade, with technology, with how you make sure that people are properly educated, reform your health care system.

  Tony Blair

  Technology, People, Challenges

  Source: www.pbs.org

• Because I happen to believe that the best policy solutions lie in the center ground, then I want to see, how does the center revitalize itself? How does it develop the policy agenda for the future? And how do we link up people who have the same basic ideas and attachments to the same basic values across the world?

  Tony Blair

  Lying, Believe, Attachment

  Source: www.pbs.org

• My view is that we're entering into a situation of enormous instability, insecurity, fragility.

  Tony Blair

  Views, Insecurity, Fragility

  Source: www.pbs.org

• There's a huge wave of anti-establishment feeling. There's an enormous amount of anger. And it's collapsing governments and political movements across the world right now.

  Tony Blair

  Government, Political, Feelings

  Source: www.pbs.org