Tony Blair took a dig at Britain’s departure from the Brussels bloc as he discussed the future of the country. Asked about the future of devolution, and how to make it work, Mr Blair commented on “escaping the problems of Brexit”. In an interview with the Institute for Government, he said: “Well, apart from the obvious, immediate thing of escaping from the problems of Brexit, I think we should think more carefully about how we have a British and UK identity and not just an English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh identity. I think that’s important.

“People used to think it was a bit trivial when I used to say we should put the football leagues together and things.

“It’s just you need to find ways in which people are realising they have a lot in common, as well as space for the diversity of the UK. I’d do a lot more of that.

“I was very struck by the fact that once you did devolution and then you separated, even institutions like the BBC became separated in a very clear way.

“You just lost that sense of a common agenda that you are waking up to every day. Obviously, that’s now happened.”

He added: “We need to be thinking, we need to be more active and passionate in our defence of the Union.

“And maybe if one good thing comes out, once we get rid of this Brexit thing, is that we really need to think about what is the place of the UK in the world and why is it sensible for countries to be together in the UK.

These are big decisions which alter the whole nature of the country

Tony Blair

“I think the reasons for that, by the way, are very, very important and sensible.

“I mean, Scotland as an independent country would immediately lose its ability to influence things through membership of the UK. And, actually, I always say that the arguments of the Brexiteers are very similar to the arguments of the Scottish nationalists ultimately.

“It’s just a misunderstanding of what nationhood really entails in the 21st century.”

It comes after the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week launched a fresh demand for another independence referendum.

During the interview, Mr Blair also claimed “an election is a really bad idea right now” and hinted at a second Brexit vote.

He added: “What I say to people now about the Brexit thing is there is no ideal way.

“If you are looking for the ideal way out of this mess, it doesn’t exist. It’s what’s the least worst option?

“The least worst option, in my view, is that you stay in the end because anything else is going to be difficult, and difficult for the Union.

“But I completely agree, yes, there’s risks at every corner of this. I personally think that if we leave now without going back to the people there’s going to be a lot of angst and anger on the Remain side of the line.”

The European Union agreed to extend Article 50 until the end of October after Theresa May asked the bloc for a delay.

The UK will be forced to take part in European elections unless the Prime Minister can get a Brexit deal through the Commons before the end of May.

The Government is locked in Brexit negotiations with the Labour Party but little progress has been made in talks since MPs returned from their Easter break.

Downing Street said that Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington and Chancellor Philip Hammond were expected to take part in talks with Labour to try and end the Brexit impasse on Monday.

Mrs May’s spokesman said he also expected Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay to attend the meeting, along with Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Chief Whip Julian Smith.

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