Tony Blair blasted for saying Boris doesn’t have skills to deal with COVID-19 crisis

Tony Blair said Boris Johnson’s Government needed a different skillset in dealing with the coronavirus crisis. The former Labour leader noted more experts have been brought in to tackle the pandemic. But he received harsh criticism online for speaking out against Mr Johnson.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, the former Prime Minister said: “There has never been a more complicated challenge in Government than this.”

Host Nick Robinson asked: “Does that mean you have to in effect reinvent Government.

“You once talked about the scars on your back for trying to reform public services. Are you saying the nature of Government is it can’t face some thing like this so you have to be prepared to throw it up in the air and reorganise?”

Mr Blair continued: “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Obviously you have to have the system involved and the system is working flat out.

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“I offer this as constructive advice, not criticism and I have huge sympathy for people handling this today but it’s precisly its complexity that you need to make sure that each of these areas are dealt with the best way possible.

“I think it requires a different combination of skills.

“I think that’s the reason why the Government have brought in Lord Dayton.

“It’s obvious procuring that and making sure you’re going to produce that in the UK, it’s not the skillset normal civil servants have.”