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Tony Blair fuels Labour leadership speculation with praise of ‘impressive’ Shabana Mahmood

Shabana Mahmood tells Nigel Farage to ‘sod off’ as she defends asylum reforms

Tony Blair effectively endorsed Shabana Mahmood as a future Labour leader, praising her as "brilliant" and "impressive" during a joint public appearance.
The former Labour prime minister hosted a Christmas event for the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) where Ms Mahmood delivered a passionate personal and political manifesto.
Blair commended Mahmood's "radical" style and the "political philosophy" behind her immigration crackdown, drawing parallels with his own approach in power.
Ms Mahmood spoke about her determination to overcome social media abuse as a "brown Muslim woman" in politics and her Islamic faith as a core motivation for public service.
Amid widespread speculation about Sir Keir Starmer's leadership, the event was widely interpreted as Blair anointing Mahmood as a potential frontrunner to succeed him.