Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has returned to Labour Party in an active role of contributing ideas and experiences to Ed Miliband’s policy review, by giving advice on the Olympic legacy.

The role reflects Blair’s part in the successful 2005 bid to host the Games and his sporting foundation, one of the key charitable causes in his retirement. The former leader of the Labour Party will be joined by Jon Cruddas, who was brought in by Miliband to head the policy review.

The controversial move, which is expected to surprise the members of the Labour party, was announced at a fundraising event when Miliband and Blair symbolically shared a platform to make speeches.

Ed Miliband said the party could learn three lessons from its most electorally successful prime minister. These were the importance of unity; the importance of evolving new ideas for new times; and the importance of winning to ensure that Labour does not allow the people whom its MPs are elected to serve are not abandoned.

Blair told the Labour fundraising dinner at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium, “It’s an honour to be here tonight to support our party, whose values and principles I have always believed in and always will. And to support Ed, support his leadership, support his drive to make our party win.”

With resentment levels still existing in his own party, and the country, about the legacy of Blair’s decision to take Britain into the Iraq war, and Labour’s clear departure from socialism under his reign, Miliband will be aware that Blair’s new role will not be universally welcomed.

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