Skip to main content

Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI)

Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI)

Last updated: 22 Jun 2026 Status: Influence mapping — think tank, consultancy, policy arm of Blairism

Overview

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) is a think tank and consultancy founded by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2017. It operates globally, advising governments on strategy, policy, and delivery — with a heavy emphasis on AI, digital identity, and "modernised" public services.

Detail Value
Founded 2017
Type Non-profit (company limited by guarantee)
Executive Chairman Tony Blair
CEO Catherine Rimmer
Location London, UK
UK registration 10505963
Staff 786 (2024)
Operations 40+ countries
Website institute.global

What TBI Does

TBI is not a traditional think tank — it's part policy shop, part government consultancy. It embeds advisory teams directly in government ministries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas, focusing on:

  • Delivery units — helping governments implement policy (the "delivery" model Blair pioneered in the UK)
  • Investment facilitation — connecting governments with private capital
  • Public-sector digitisation — digital ID, data platforms, AI infrastructure
  • Crisis response — pandemic recovery, post-conflict reconstruction (including Gaza)
  • UK policy — "Future of Britain" programme producing papers for UK policymakers on growth, tech, public-service reform

TBI presents itself as non-partisan and pro-technology. Critics describe it as a vehicle for Blair's post-premiership influence, funded by wealthy donors with a "technocratic, Third Way" agenda.

Key Policy Positions (2025-2026)

AI & Digital Identity

TBI's most prominent focus. The institute has published extensively on:

  • "Sovereignty, Security, Scale: A UK Strategy for AI Infrastructure" (Jul 2025) — calling for major state investment in AI compute infrastructure
  • "Sovereignty in the Age of AI" (Jan 2026) — arguing governments need to rethink AI control and digital sovereignty
  • "Digital Embassies and AI Sovereignty" (May 2026) — proposing states establish digital embassies
  • Digital ID — TBI has been a key advocate globally for state-run digital identity systems. Oracle founder Larry Ellison has cited TBI's role: "Tony Blair Institute has been key in this around the world"

Energy & Climate

  • "Why Britain Needs an Energy-Strategy Reset" (Feb 2026) — argued the UK should reframe its 2030 clean-power mission to prioritise affordability over decarbonisation speed
  • "Europe must shift from climate-first, climate-only approach" (May 2026) — TBI's European energy strategy paper, calling for a broader energy security framework
  • Net zero by 2050 — still endorsed, but TBI has urged a pragmatic slowdown on near-term targets
  • Criticism: Environmental groups (Green Alliance, ECIU) pushed back sharply, accusing TBI of weakening climate ambition in service of corporate donors

Pensions & Welfare

  • "TBI calls for biggest overhaul of state pension since its inception" (May 2026) — proposing significant reforms
  • Blocking benefits for anxiety/ADHD — TBI recommended people with anxiety and ADHD should be blocked from claiming benefits (Apr 2026), drawing widespread criticism

Gaza & Middle East

  • Tony Blair's update on Gaza delivered to the UN Security Council (Jun 2026)
  • According to the Financial Times (Feb 2026), TBI "provided training and consulting" for appointed members of the Gaza Board of Peace developed by Donald Trump
  • TBI held meetings with NCAG (National Committee for the Administration of Gaza) in Cairo
  • Blair has been "involved in designing plans for postwar Gaza for more than a year, using his institute to formulate ideas"

Ukraine

  • TBI has been actively operating in Kyiv, advising the Ukrainian government on policy, as confirmed by multiple sources

🔶 The "Labour is Playing With Fire" Essay (26 May 2026)

Blair's most significant political intervention since Labour came to power — a 5,700-word essay published by TBI that took direct aim at Starmer's government.

Key Arguments

  • Labour had "no coherent plan" for the country
  • Policies had held back business — criticised net-zero speed, planning constraints, business regulation
  • Warned Labour was "playing with fire" over internal chaos and risked relegating Britain from the "Premier League of nations"
  • Urged Labour to embrace the "radical centre" — not move left
  • Called for abandoning net zero as a near-term target and moving closer to Trump on energy

Fallout

  • Andy Burnham hit back forcefully: "He doesn't mention inequality once… If you don't get how that's driving politics now, you are not understanding what's going on." (Observer, 27 May)
  • Wes Streeting (in The Guardian): "Inequality — the economic, social and democratic fracture running through modern Britain — is treated as peripheral rather than fundamental."
  • @novaramedia: "The Labour party should do more to support US wars while promoting fossil fuels and AI if it wants to win the next election, Tony Blair has suggested."
  • @soclp_uk: "If anything ever epitomised Blairism it would be the phrase 'the radical centre'."
  • BBC: Full coverage of Burnham and Streeting's counter-attacks

💰 Funding — The Larry Ellison Connection

TBI's funding model has drawn sustained scrutiny.

Sources of Funding

  • Private donors and grantmakers — primary source
  • Government contracts — advisory work with foreign governments
  • The Larry Ellison Foundation — Oracle founder Larry Ellison has been reported to have pledged or donated over £230 million to TBI

The Oracle/New Statesman Investigation (Sep 2025)

The New Statesman published a major investigation ("Inside the Tony Blair Institute") revealing:

  • Ellison's massive funding — over £230M into TBI
  • Quid pro quo concerns — in return, Blair has been pushing the Starmer government to give Oracle favourable contracts, particularly on:
    • NHS data systems
    • Government AI infrastructure
    • Digital ID projects
  • Top civil servant boomerang — staff moving between TBI and government roles

Reddit Reaction

  • r/ukpolitics (9 Dec 2025): "TL;DW: The Tony Blair Institute has received enormous backing from Oracle, and in return, Blair is pushing the Starmer govt to give the company favourable contracts"
  • r/ukpolitics (28 Sep 2025): "Inside the Tony Blair Institute — Larry Ellison's £257m bet on Tony Blair" — 100+ comments
  • r/unitedkingdom (28 Sep 2025): "Below him, the former prime minister nodded, clutching his Tony Blair Institute (TBI) notebook. Two weeks later, the TBI published a report…"

Financials

  • October 2025: Financial Times reported TBI was undertaking restructuring and layoffs amid continued losses, even as it increased AI-related work and sought new donors

🎯 Political Influence

Under Starmer's Government

TBI has had significant influence in Starmer's Labour:

  • Policy overlap — Starmer's government adopted several TBI-adjacent positions on AI infrastructure, digital ID, public-sector reform
  • Staff pipeline — multiple TBI alumni moved into government advisory roles
  • The Guardian (Sep 2023): "The complex and corporate rise of the Tony Blair Institute" — documented TBI's extensive influence in Starmer's Labour
  • The London Economic: SNP's Drew Hendry wrote to Starmer urging him to "sever all ties" with TBI
  • Democracy for Sale (Substack): Detailed how TBI health policy director Charlotte Refsum was invited into government less than two months after Starmer's win

Under a Potential Burnham Government

  • Burnham's allies have signalled a less TBI-aligned approach — Burnham explicitly criticised Blair's essay and the inequality blind spot
  • However, TBI's international advisory work is independent of UK government, so its global operations would continue regardless

Spotlight on Corporate Ties (Jun 2026)

  • Zack Polanski (Lib Dem / Green-aligned figure) wrote to the Cabinet Office asking them to disclose all contact with the Tony Blair Institute
  • Multiple Facebook posts in June 2026 highlight: "The developing evidence of the Tony Blair Institute operating as a conduit for big business is worrying"
  • @donnablagblag (X): "AI Data Centres, Net Zero, and Tony Blair: Starmer has aggressively promoted AI infrastructure with government pledges, 'AI growth zones' for fast-tracked planning…"

🔴 Criticism & Controversies

Issue Detail Source
Larry Ellison / Oracle funding £230M+ from Oracle founder. Conflict of interest concerns — Blair pushing Oracle contracts to UK government New Statesman / FT
Gaza "Peace Board" training TBI provided training/consulting for Trump's Gaza Board of Peace appointees Financial Times (Feb 2026)
Climate ambition weakening Urged UK to abandon 2030 clean-power target, prioritise affordability Green Alliance criticism
Benefits crackdown Recommended blocking anxiety/ADHD claimants from benefits TBI paper (Apr 2026)
Digital ID push Aggressive advocacy for state-run digital ID — privacy concerns Multiple sources
Restructuring & losses Layoffs amid continued losses (Oct 2025), even as AI work expanded Financial Times
War criminal tag Persistent "war criminal" branding from Iraq War opponents across social media X/Facebook
Revolving door Staff moving between TBI and government — access concerns New Statesman

Social Media Landscape (Jun 2026)

X/Twitter (Nitter)

TBI's official account (@InstituteGC) is active and engaged. Beyond official channels, discourse splits into:

Anti-TBI / Left criticism:

  • @Alessa11alexa: "That greedy war criminal is everywhere! Tony Blair Institute… actively operating in Kyiv, advising the Ukrainian government"
  • @novaramedia: Sarcastic framing of Blair's essay — "Labour should do more to support US wars while promoting fossil fuels and AI"
  • @soclp_uk: "The only thing that was ever radical about [Blairism] was its radical commitment to Thatcherism"
  • @GJohnson_1978 (on Starmer resignation): "Just like the bastard Tony Blair @InstituteGC, all bad smells tend to linger"

Neutral / News-sharing:

  • @JohnRentoul (7 Jun): "Catch-up service. In case anyone needs a set of links to Tony Blair's essay and the main responses" — linking to the TBI essay and Burnham/Streeting responses
  • @EnergyOdisha: TBI signed MoU with Odisha state government on energy roadmap

Anti-TBI / Conspiracy-adjacent:

  • @FBastiat1: "Deep State ASSet & pathological LIAR Tony Blair is not to be trusted"
  • @tony_tweets1: "This is one of the faces of @ClintonFdn backing an ethnic cleansing plan being implemented by @InstituteGC"

Facebook (Phice, Jun 2026)

  • Multiple posts framing TBI as a corporate conduit: "Blair — far from being a voice of Labour — is now an unapologetic representative of corporate power"
  • Digital ID concerns prominent: "DIGITAL ID: Tony Blair Institute has been key in this around the world. Oracle founder Larry Ellison has poured £230m+ into TBI"
  • Zack Polanski's letter to Cabinet Office — demanding disclosure of all government contact with TBI
  • Somali-language content: Coverage of Blair's views on Islamic extremism and education

Reddit

Thread Subreddit Notes
"Labour has 'no coherent plan', says former PM Blair" r/ukpolitics 26 May 2026 — "It took me a while to realise that the Tony Blair Institute is basically like Virgin is to Richard Branson"
"Inside the Tony Blair Institute — New Statesman investigation" r/unitedkingdom 28 Sep 2025 — 100+ comments, heavy discussion of Oracle funding
"Tony Blair and Larry Ellison's deep business relationship" r/ukpolitics 9 Dec 2025 — Oracle funding, NHS data concerns
"Block people with anxiety and ADHD from claiming benefits" r/ukpolitics 28 Apr 2026 — TBI benefits paper draws anger
"Tony Blair calls for radical reset of climate change policies" r/LabourUK 29 Apr 2025 — climate criticism

TBI's Own Publications (Recent)

Summary Assessment

TBI is not a traditional think tank — it's a hybrid consultancy/policy shop with unprecedented access to governments worldwide, funded by a small number of ultra-wealthy donors (principally Larry Ellison/Oracle). Its influence on UK Labour under Starmer has been significant, particularly on AI infrastructure, digital ID, and public-sector reform.

Key concerns:

  • Transparency — TBI's donor base is opaque; the extent of Ellison's funding only became clear via investigative journalism
  • Revolving door — TBI staff moving into government roles
  • Policy skew — TBI's positions consistently align with tech/energy corporate interests (AI, nuclear, fossil fuel pragmatism, digital ID)
  • Gaza involvement — TBI training Trump's Gaza Board appointees raises questions about the institute's role in post-war planning

Under a Burnham government, TBI's direct UK influence may diminish — Burnham explicitly criticised Blair's vision — but its global advisory operations and donor network remain intact.

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
  • Influence Watch: TBI profile
  • TBI website: institute.global
  • The Guardian: "The complex and corporate rise of the Tony Blair Institute" (17 Sep 2023)
  • The Guardian: "Tony Blair tells Starmer and rivals: abandon net zero" (26 May 2026)
  • The Guardian: "Tony Blair's essay on Labour failings gets full marks for being… unhelpful" (26 May 2026)
  • BBC: "Burnham and Streeting accuse Blair of ignoring inequality" (27 May 2026)
  • BBC: "Labour has 'no coherent plan' for country, says Blair" (26 May 2026)
  • Politico Europe: "Blair turns against Starmer, Burnham and Streeting in attack" (27 May 2026)
  • Financial Times: TBI restructuring and layoffs (Oct 2025)
  • Financial Times: TBI providing training for Gaza Board of Peace (Feb 2026)
  • New Statesman: "Inside the Tony Blair Institute" — Larry Ellison investigation (Sep 2025)
  • The London Economic: "Starmer urged to sever all ties with TBI"
  • Democracy for Sale (Substack): "Inside the Tony Blair Institute — Larry Ellison's Money, NHS Data" (Sep 2025)
  • UKSIF: Response to TBI energy report
  • ECIU: Comment on TBI European energy strategy
  • Nitter (X/Twitter): Multi-query sweep, Jun 2026 — @InstituteGC, @novaramedia, @JohnRentoul et al.
  • Phice (Facebook): Multi-query search, Jun 2026
  • Reddit: r/ukpolitics, r/unitedkingdom, r/LabourUK — TBI-related threads
  • SearXNG: Web search sweep via Winbox, 22 Jun 2026

No comments to display

Back to top