IT was Nationalist politicians like Alex Salmond who put him off claiming Scottish nationality, Tony Blair has admitted.
The former prime minister, who was born and educated in Edinburgh, says: “I have a deep attachment to Scotland.
“One of things that did pain me a lot before I left, but particularly after I left, was because people like Alex Salmond were very harsh critics in a very personal way.
“I was sorry actually, it became harder to have a relationship with Scotland that I felt really very deeply.
“Cherie and I used to have a holiday every year in Scotland before I became Labour leader.”
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So, he is asked if the likes of Mr Salmond, the former first minister and SNP leader, stopped him from claiming Scottish nationality?
“With the SNP today, and even though I don’t agree with the politics of Nicola Sturgeon, she is a significant figure, I don’t feel the same.
“I felt in that period it was very harsh on London.
“I used to say they don’t mind going to Brussels but going to London is like going to enemy territory. It caused quite unnecessary hurt.
“I remember talking to Scottish members of the Cabinet, who were ‘accused’ of going down to London as if the most terrible thing in the world was to be [there].
“I always considered myself very much from Scottish roots and my earliest memories are all of Scotland.
“I went to school there.
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“I remember going to Murrayfield and watching the rugby time upon time.
“I’d love to spend more time in Scotland now.
“I’m always interested in the politics of Scotland and always was.
“We kept our Scottish representation very strong even in 2005.”
He is asked why Scotland, once a bastion for the Labour Party, has become more like a backwater politically?
“It’s taken a series of wrong decisions, I’m afraid.
“If you take a series of wrong decisions, you end up with a bad result.
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“The fact is if there was a strategy there, it would pull Labour back in Scotland, but the sort of Corbyn-type of politics for Labour in Scotland, I don’t think it has got huge appeal.
“These guys think it does but I don’t think it does.”
Mr Blair adds: “The fact, is the Labour Party could come back in Scotland if it wanted to.
“But it has just got the wrong strategy.”
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