Britain is now a "one-party state", says Tony Blair

Tony Blair has said that the UK is now essentially a one-party state after the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour party leader.

The former prime minister also left the door open to a return to politics, saying that there is still a possibility for centrist policies to flourish.

In a wide-ranging interview with Esquire magazine, Blair described the current state of British politics as a "tragedy".

"Frankly, it's a tragedy for British politics if the choice before the country is a Conservative government going for a hard Brexit and an ultra-left Labour party that believes in a set of policies that takes us back to the 1960s," Blair said.

"In the UK at the moment you’ve got a one-party state," he added.

Corbyn was elected for a second time after losing the support of the vast majority of the party's MPs but regaining that of the members. He has made clear that he will push through his plans to bring Labour more towards the left, a move contrary to the tendency of Blair.

"There's been a huge reaction against the politics I represent. But I think it's too soon to say the centre has been defeated. Ultimately I don’t think it will. I think it will succeed again."

Blair was also questioned about his future, and whether a return to politics was on the cards.

"There’s a limit to what I want to say about my own position at this moment. All I can say is that this is where politics is at. Do I feel strongly about it? Yes, I do. Am I very motivated by that? Yes. Where do I go from here? What exactly do I do? That's an open question."