Speaking at the 2017 World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, the then Chancellor took aim at Mr Blair, claiming the former Labour Party leader's failure to control the amount of eastern European workers fuelled anti-immigration sentiment in the UK. Mr Hammond said: "There clearly was a strong strand of feeling against uncontrolled migration. And I lay the responsibility for that squarely at the door of Prime Minister Blair who failed to impose transitional regime in the UK in 2004.
“So while other countries in Europe smoothly transitioned the A8 members [Accession 8] and the freedom of movement from A8 members Britain took the full force of the tide in 2004, and that created a public perception which we still haven’t shaken off to this day.”
Mr Hammond also highlighted that while Britain had voted to leave, the decision was not a rejection of immigration entirely, but a longing for control over borders.
He added: “It is very important to the British people that we control our borders, but most of them do not want to use that control to shut the borders, they simply want to have control."
The former MP for Runnymede and Weybridge also said that, with Britain aiming to depart the EU and its Single Market, this would not necessarily result in no migration, as the UK would still look for "skilled-workers".
He added: “What we’ve said clearly is that we cannot accept the principle of free movement. We can’t accept that any more.
“Don’t kneecap your best asset. Let us thrive, make sure that immigration policies tell the world that Britain is open and welcoming to the best most entrepreneurial, energetic talent from all over, without restraint and constraint.”
The assessment made by Mr Hammond was also supported by former European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker.
In November 2019, Mr Juncker said that Mr Blair's approach to European integration contributed to the Brexit vote.
He said that “my friend” Mr Blair was among politicians who “wanted nothing to do with the EU” as a project.
He added: “When it came to the political union, to moving closer together, they wanted nothing to do with the EU. That was even the case with my friend Tony Blair. If you stick to that narrative for over 40 years, it should not come as a surprise when people remember it during the referendum.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1231920/brexit-news-arch-remainer-philip-hammond-blamed-tony-blair-for-eu-exit-spt
