Tonight:
5°c
Taxpayers foot £500,000 bill for Blair's peace role
Paul Waugh10 Feb 2009
British taxpayers have spent nearly £500,000 on Tony Blair's attempts to secure a lasting peace in the Middle East, figures showed today.
The Foreign Office has footed a £400,000 bill towards office costs and expenses for the former prime minister.
Four civil servants and a political analyst have also been sent to work with Mr Blair, costing at least £100,000.
The figures emerged amid growing discontent over Mr Blair's job representing the "quartet" of UN, America, the EU and Russia on the peace process.
Mr Blair has had little impact on stopping the violence in Gaza and French President Nicolas Sarkozy has now taken the lead in finding a diplomatic solution.
Just as damaging for Mr Blair, President Barack Obama has also appointed former Northern Ireland peace expert George Mitchell as his own special envoy for the Middle East. Mr Blair visits the region one week every month.
His defenders point out that each of the members of the "quartet" are funding his role.
Mr Blair is believed to have made more than £15million since leaving office in June 2007 from consultancies, book deals and speeches.
However, the former prime minister has faced accusations, which he denies, that his business activities, including working for leading financial institutions, have distracted from his Middle East task.
Reader views (7)
I resent paying a penny towards Blair's antics. He loves to be prancing about the world stage but we should not pay for it. God help us if he does become the EU President in the future.
- William, London, 10/02/2009 10:40
Report abuse
Whichever way you look at it the British taxpayer has foot the bill, sickening.
- Wallytrader, London, 10/02/2009 10:16
Report abuse
How can Tony Blair justifiably be described as a "peace envoy". He spends most of his time making after dinner speeches, signing autographs, etc - in fact anything which will add to his bank account. If we must fund a peace envoy then please let it be one who is committed to the role and not a self serving publicity seeker like Blair.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 10/02/2009 09:59
Report abuse
why are we still funding this idiot - he has ruined the UK and got away with it so cut him off
- Fly, london, 10/02/2009 09:56
Report abuse
Even now he is milking us of our money.
- Peter, kings lynn,england, 10/02/2009 09:53
Report abuse
That man trying to stop war in the middle east is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Why does he think he's God's gift to stopping troubles, when he helped alot of them keep going. Stop paying him from the tax payers purse and demand he repay it all. IF he still wants to continue let him be the Statesman on his own budget. Why should we still have to suffer him??
- S-M Hearmon, London, UK, 10/02/2009 09:45
Report abuse
Blair does this self-invented job to keep a high profile which in turn helps him generate a colossal income on the speech circuit. Fair enough, as long as he pays the costs and not the UK taxpayer.
- Robin, Brentford, UK, 10/02/2009 09:37
Report abuse
