Tony Blair: Unite All Religions

On the eve of the launch of his “faith foundation”, the former prime minister also said faith had given him the courage to make unpopular decisions he knew were right during his 10 years in office. In an interview with Time magazine, Mr Blair said faith could be “a civilising force in globalisation”, bringing different peoples together to solve the world’s problems. He argued: “Faith is part of our future, and faith and the values it brings with it are an essential part of making globalisation work.” Mr Blair’s foundation, which will be officially launched in New York today, will attempt to bring religions together to tackle major global issues such as the UN’s eight millennium development goals, which range from eradicating extreme poverty to ensuring environmental sustainability. “This is how I want to spend the rest of my life,” he said. In an accompanying video, Mr Blair said he had spent “decades” thinking about setting up the foundation — including when he was still prime minister.