Blair blags discounted designer suits... while netting £240,000 for three-hour China speech

The former Prime Minister used a 24-hour stopover in Hong Kong on his way to the lucrative engagements to buy two suits, four jackets and a dozen shirts from celebrity tailor Manu Melwani, which would normally have cost £1,000.

A team of 55 tailors worked through the night to fulfil the order, upon which Middle East envoy Mr Blair is understood to have received a substantial discount in return for his endorsement.

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Mr Melwani, known as Sam the Tailor, was summoned to the JW Marriott hotel in Hong Kong to measure up Mr Blair when he arrived last Sunday to give a speech at a lunch hosted by financial services firm Merrill Lynch.

The clothes were delivered in time to be loaded on to Mr Blair's private jet before he left for speaking engagements in the mainland cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan, where he was paid £240,000 for three hours' work promoting a new development of villas.

Mr Melwani, whose clients have included Bill Clinton and Luciano Pavarotti, uses photographs of himself with Mr Blair to promote his firm on his website and in his shop.

He refused to say how much Mr Blair paid but said he was 'an excellent customer', adding: "He seemed happy. His measurements were exactly the same as when he last visited two years ago. He wanted suits and jackets in dark colours but lightweight material for his work in the Middle East. As he was only here for 24 hours, we had to work fast."

Mr Blair's speaking fee of £1,300 a minute – more than the average Chinese factory-worker earns in a year – was paid by Chen Runguang, a property tycoon worth about £100million.

The 52-year-old Guangda Group chairman phoned Mr Blair's office in late October after learning he was visiting China, and offered him the huge sum to promote his villas. The visit was agreed in days.

Mr Blair's image was yesterday being used to promote the villas. A 3ft billboard outside the sales office showed pictures of his visit, while inside a slideshow of him touring the villas was screened on a 65in TV.

A £2.5million villa is being reserved for the former Prime Minister, apparently as bait for wealthy buyers hoping to be neighbours with the Blairs.

Sales executive Li Ye said Mr Blair had been 'much better value' than Mr Clinton, who was paid a reported £100,000 for speaking at a property launch in 2002.

"Mr Clinton only delivered a speech at a hotel, but Tony Blair was much more involved. He came to the villa and even hosted a party. What he has done will make this the No1 development in China."

Although Mr Blair's office said the Dongguan visit was private, he was escorted by British consul Brian Davidson, who claims he went to meet Chinese officials, not Mr Blair.