David Blunkett had a chat with his old boss Tony Blair just a few months ago. “I can have very constructive disagreements with him and still stay friendly – as it should be,” the former Labour cabinet minister said with a chuckle.
The current generation of senior Labour figures are perhaps a little less warmly disposed towards Blair after his latest intervention in contemporary politics – an essay lashing out at Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting, followed by a prime 8.10am slot on the Today programme.