US lawyer to broker Blair book deal

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Sources close to the former prime minister confirmed Robert Barnett would be contacting publishers on his behalf, although they stressed the process was at a very early stage.

Mr Barnett was responsible for securing a reported 12 million dollars (£6 million) for ex-US president Bill Clinton's autobiography My Life, and industry insiders estimate Mr Blair's book could fetch a similar figure.

Random House was widely thought to have struck an informal agreement with Mr Blair for his memoirs last year.

The publisher also handled Mr Clinton's book and the recent diaries by Mr Blair's high-profile spin doctor Alastair Campbell. However, the former PM's camp insists that no deal has yet been made.

The fact that a US lawyer has been drafted in will heighten speculation that Mr Blair may choose to go with Harper Collins, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and has more of a transatlantic presence.

Mr Blair's perceived popularity in America is likely to inflate the sum he will receive for an account of his life and time in Downing Street. He will have to juggle writing the book with his current role as the envoy of the Quartet powers in the Middle East.

News that he is actively seeking a publisher may also be a cause for concern for the current incumbent of Number 10.

As Chancellor, Gordon Brown had a famously turbulent relationship with Mr Blair, and was accused by many of attempting to speed his departure from power. Mr Campbell voluntarily removed details that could have embarrassed the current Premier from his book, saying he would not reveal anything to harm the Labour Party.

Mr Blair could take a similar attitude, having repeatedly insisted that his top priority is securing a fourth term in Government for Labour. Earlier this week it emerged that ex-deputy prime minister John Prescott was in negotiations to sell his life story, for an estimated £500,000.