Tony Blair is raring to take on the populists, by Lucy Fisher.

Tony Blair has announced plans for an institute to develop centre-ground policy to combat “the new populism” across the globe.

The former Labour prime minister said that the organisation, to start work in the new year, would focus in part on Brexit. It would comprise a networking forum and a policy unit, in partnership with the public and private sector.

He said that it would not be a think tank as there were enough of those and described the venture as a “platform for engagement to inform and support the practising politician”. He insisted that its creation did not represent his return to the front line of politics, adding: “I have made it abundantly clear that this is not possible.” …

He said that the new institute would be funded from the assets – reported to be up to £9 million – of his advisory business, Tony Blair Associates, which he shut down in September.

A lobby and pressure group to keep western politicians doing what the global elite want. For the last few years Blair has been paid a couple of millions of pounds a year by major banks to do…. well it’s not clear really.

hat-tip Stephen Neil