# 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

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## 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](https://institute.global/) |

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## 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.

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## 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

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## 🔶 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

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## 💰 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

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## 🎯 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…"*

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## 🔴 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 |

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## 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 |

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## TBI's Own Publications (Recent)

| Title | Date | Link |
|-------|------|------|
| Tony Blair's tribute to Roy Hattersley | 15 Jun 2026 | institute.global |
| The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire | 26 May 2026 | [institute.global](https://institute.global/insights/politics-and-governance/the-labour-party-is-playing-with-fire-over-its-future-and-the-future-of-the-country) |
| Digital Embassies and AI Sovereignty | 28 May 2026 | institute.global |
| Europe must shift from "climate-first, climate-only" approach | 5 May 2026 | institute.global |
| TBI calls for biggest overhaul of state pension | 1 May 2026 | institute.global |
| Tony Blair's update on Gaza to UN Security Council | 28 Apr 2026 | institute.global |
| Why Britain Needs an Energy-Strategy Reset | 13 Feb 2026 | institute.global |
| Open Source: How Middle Powers Can Build Influence in the Age of AI | 9 Feb 2026 | institute.global |
| Sovereignty in the Age of AI | 19 Jan 2026 | institute.global |
| Sovereignty, Security, Scale: A UK Strategy for AI Infrastructure | 29 Jul 2025 | institute.global |
| More of UK public support digital ID than oppose (research) | 27 Mar 2026 | institute.global |

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## 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.

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## Sources

- **Wikipedia:** [Tony Blair Institute for Global Change](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blair_Institute_for_Global_Change)
- **Influence Watch:** [TBI profile](https://www.influencewatch.org/group/tony-blair-institute-for-global-change/)
- **TBI website:** [institute.global](https://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