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Tony Blair criticised for asking to keep 24-hour armed guard
Lawrence Conway5 Oct 2009
Tony Blair intervened directly to keep a 24-hour armed guard outside his London home after police attempted to cut their presence to save money.
The former Prime Minister - who is estimated to have made £12 million since leaving Downing Street - asked the Home Office to keep the Scotland Yard officers guarding the Connaught Square house.
Today his move was criticised by a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority. Scotland Yard has been under increasing pressure to cut the cost of protecting VIPs, with its budget for 24-hour armed protection increasingly stretched.
The £4.36 million home in Connaught Square, Bayswater has a 24-hour armed guard provided by the Met's CO6 Diplomatic Protection unit.
Four officers are regularly on duty at the house - two at the front of the property and two more guarding the rear.
The cost of posting the highly-trained officers is picked up by the Met, with a contribution towards the expense from the Government.
Plans to scale back the presence were drawn up by Scotland Yard as part of an attempt to cut costs, and because neither Mr Blair or his wife Cherie are always at home.
But Mr Blair made representations to the Home Office committee which can overrule Met commanders.
A spokesman for Mrs Blair said: “We can't comment in any detail for security reasons, but following one or two incidents, it was Mr Blair who contacted Home Office officials.
A spokesman for Mr Blair added: “These are operational decisions for the police, but all former Prime Ministers, from Mrs Thatcher to John Major and including Mr Blair, continue to receive police protection after they leave office.”
His intervention is believed to have led a Home Office body, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, to agree not to change the existing arrangement.
The committee works to “review and monitor expenditure on protection with a view to ensuring efficiency,” according to the Home Office.
But London Assembly member Jenny Jones, who has been a Metropolitan Police Authority member for nine years, said: “I have been asking the Met commissioner for months through the MPA - why are we paying, especially as the Blairs often aren't there?
“They are both earning plenty of money and should be paying themselves - I think it's outrageous.”
Ms Jones said: “It's very important that the Met commissioner has tried to cut the cost, but it seems he's been over-ruled, which is setting a very bad precedent.”
Both the Home Office and Scotland Yard refused to comment on security arrangements.
Reader views (39)
what a glorious psychopath old tony is. the perfect example of the power mad egocentric scumbags that rule us.
- Nealey, new soviet southern area., 07/10/2009 13:28
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I am no fan of Tony Blair - the Iraq war was unforgivable, but he was the democraticaly elected prime minister, and if an ex prime minister, and his family, are in danger because they held that office, then it is for us to pay for their protection after they leave office. You can't just stop protecting them because you dont like them.
- Steve Dexter, London, 06/10/2009 20:14
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Tony Bliar was/is just a pawn, a minion..and so are Brown and Cameron..etc etc.
Do you really believe that these muppet/puppets make the final decision about anything of importance without specific say-so from the top of the ladder...ha ha ha!
No One to vote for!
- Ryan, Newcastle, 06/10/2009 12:48
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If Tony Blair really wishes to have a 24-hour armed guard then can I recommend "Guantánamo Bay" as his ideal residence?
I understand that the guards there take "no nonsense" from the residents and that might just be what Tony and Cherie need!
- Fraser, Telford Park, 06/10/2009 10:39
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If you have signed the document that sent thousands of women, children and innocent men to their brutal deaths you too would demand 24 hours protection...
- Jessica, london, 05/10/2009 20:38
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OK if he pays for it himself. Otherwise, sod him.
- Michael, London, UK, 05/10/2009 19:45
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Let him pay for it himself...he cost the British people dear..maybe the most hated politician ever!! leave our country Tony..you have ruined it!!!!
- Jean, London England, 05/10/2009 17:30
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If the Blairs intend to keep these houses for their children but not occupy them in the meantime, then they can make security arrangements like everyone else.Tony should be given the benifit like other exPM's whilst he intends to be resident at one of his houses with prior notice.His wife should not be expected to have the same rights,she is when all said and done 'her own woman'.
- Tithonus, Athens Greece, 05/10/2009 17:08
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"All men are created equal, but some are more equal than others".
- Graham, London, 05/10/2009 16:57
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I screw up the country & you lot pay, I quit whilst I'm ahead & get even richer and I still expect you to pay to protect me, the wife & the big house you mugs helped to buy.........you could'nt make it up.
- Suzie, Borough, 05/10/2009 16:39
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It has been reported elsewhere that it was not Billy Liar, enemy of Britain, that asked for this unjustified expenditure, but the odious hag that he is married to.
She is not a public figure and her security, which she wouldn't need if the pair of them weren't so universally despised, is her responsibility.
The Bliars and their lifestyle stand testament to everything that is democratically corrupt about this stinking NuLiebour government, the EUSSR and everyone associated with them.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 05/10/2009 16:27
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Does an armed guard for Cherie mean that she will have an armed guard around her to keep her away from us? G R E A T ! H O O R A H !
- Albert Hall, hove england, 05/10/2009 16:24
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As an Ex Prime Minster of this Country, Tony Blair has knowledge of the UK's highest secrets and intelligence. Following the UK's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, it would be fair to suggest Tony Blair is a potential target.
If the ignorant few think that the cost of providing 24hours arm guard for Mr Blair is too high (or unnecessary), common sense should suggest that the cost would be trivial in comparison if he (Mr Blair) is captured by extremists/enemies of the Country. It could put EVERY resident of this country at grave risk!
- Maverick Kaizer, London, UK, 05/10/2009 16:22
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@ Mathew
It's not only Muslims, I'm afraid. There are many others who loathe and detest this ghastly pair.
- Chuck Unsworth, London, 05/10/2009 16:19
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Think the photo says it all. What a pair of money grabbing despicable lying so and so's. If he wants protection then put him behind bars where he should be for war crimes!!!
- Peter, Vienna, Austria, 05/10/2009 16:05
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The two vile, self-serving parasites should pay for their own security.
- Holly, London SW3 UK, 05/10/2009 15:56
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If Blair is loathed, and not just by Muslims, to the point where he imagines his life is in danger (or in this case his property is in danger) he only has himself to blame. Let him pay for the consequences of his own actions.
- Tim Conolly, Guildford, UK, 05/10/2009 15:48
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Its simple all he has to do is pay the Met the wages of those needed to protect his home.
- David Smith, Croydon, 05/10/2009 15:38
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put them back on the streets and let him fend for himself. He caused the majority of unrest likely to result in his assassination just like Rushdie.
- Squiz, Islington, 05/10/2009 15:37
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Yes, three choices: Get out of this country, pay for the guards, or better still, bang him up on 23 hour lockup...
What an awful little 'drittseck' the man is....
- Wayne Barnes, London, 05/10/2009 15:36
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Tony really needs to put his hands in his pockets and pay for his own security, or move out of London altogether and live on a remote island, if he feels that threatened. Its a risk that he should take like the rest of us.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 05/10/2009 15:32
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The Blairs are despised by most of the world with good reason,if these two quislings had any conscience at all they would disappear to a remote part of Antarctica and stay there forever,just looking at them induces nausea.
- General Lee'Wright, Communist Britain, 05/10/2009 15:32
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LET THE MUSLIMS GET HIM AND CRUELLA DE VILLE
- Rsaviour, london, 05/10/2009 15:30
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WHAT!!!!!!! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW..THESE 2 JOKES HAVE MADE THIS COUNTRY A LAUGHING STOCK..LET HIM PAY FOR PROTECTION OUT OF HIS OWN MILLIONS...GREEDY BAS&&&&
- Rsaviour, london, 05/10/2009 15:28
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Interesting image, hmm...?
What do you think Jesus Christ without a beard and Mary Magdalene!
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 05/10/2009 15:25
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Much as I hate both Blair and his dreadful harridan of a wife it is certainly true that there are a large number of Muslims who would love to see him dead, over the Iraq war, and so he and his family probably do need to be protected from them. What a shame though that it has to be at our expense seeing as how he has got so very very rich off the backs of the rest of us.
- Matthew, London, UK, 05/10/2009 13:22
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This man is a complete Joke.
Gordon Brown and Tony Blair should be held up in court for Treason against the state, for the mess they have single handedly created.
Put them in jail for their crimes and they will not need the taxpayer paying out any more to cover their privaliged lives funded by the very people they have betrayed !
- Michael Fincham, London, 05/10/2009 13:19
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The Blairs have milked the system long enough (from remortgaging their constituency home and using the money from that mortgage to pay for their Bayswater property) - he has obtained at least 4 jobs as a result of his premiership. he has a gold plated pension. She has obtained QC and the income that comes with it. They have several properties around the UK.
His policies and feting of the City have help lead us towards the credit crunch (he just ducked out of the post before it hit - it still has his name all over it). He took us into an illegal war. NO WAY should he be provided with taxpayer funded protection. One solution is to make him stand trial for war crimes - then he won't need his house.
By the way do we also pay protection for his mansion in the country?
- Andy, london, 05/10/2009 13:06
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But I thought 'call me Tony' was just an ordinary guy?
- Paul, London, 05/10/2009 12:43
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At last! He's finally beginning to understand that he and the equally parasitic 'Mouth of the Mersey' are detested. Keep it up mates, Brown really needs the help of yet another pair of ponces like you.
- Poor Pensioner, London/England, 05/10/2009 12:33
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Submit an invoice to the Blairs TODAY for the total cost of this "protection" to be paid immediately.
To be fair, this should be for the total period from one month after Tony Blair stood down as Prime Minister (that would have been ample time for Tony & his cronies to organize suitable alternative security protection) up until the the end of October 2009. This invoice MUST be paid "within 7 working days". Further invoices MUST then be submitted monthly, to be paid "monthly in advance".
Isn't it high time that Tony Blair joined the REAL WORLD and stopped expecting everything to be paid for him out of the public purse?
- Fraser, Telford Park, 05/10/2009 12:17
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Perhaps the Met shoud use Police Community Support Officers (PCSO's or Blunkett's bobbies) to provide the cover for Mr & Mrs Blair. After all both Blair and Blunkett told us all that these were being introduced to help prevent crime and they were definitley NOT a cheap alternative to the 'real' thing.
- Malcolm, London, 05/10/2009 11:48
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why can they not use the plastic coppers they have radio contact to the police
then we can free up these police to get on with there job
- Terry Chambers, London, 05/10/2009 11:47
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It sounds a very boring job, just guarding a house. Couldn't they let these guys mow the lawn and tend the borders. I'm sure his majesty would look down favourably on them doing such tasks.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark, 05/10/2009 11:03
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This just confirms that this man is a parasite.God help us all if he becomes the EU president!
- Stephen, London, 05/10/2009 10:39
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Would you not think that Bliar and the Wicked Witch should pay for their own security - given that they are both multi-millionaires, with FOUR homes and untold "expenses" being paid for by Joe Public?
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 05/10/2009 10:25
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His government taught us that we have to pay for everything we want in life. So if he wants an armed guard
(1) he must pay from his own income
(2) There should be no armed guards for private citizens in the UK regardless of who they are
(3) If he is considers that he is hated so much he should leave the UK, never to return, sell up his property and go to a country that may value his continued presence perhaps Iran would welcome him ?
- Judy, London, 05/10/2009 10:25
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I'd happily pay a few thousand pounds a year to keep Bliar in prison, where he and his fellow war crims belong. Maybe Bliar and us taxpayers should ask WHY he needs protection. The answer is that he has the blood of a million innocent victims on his hands, which gives about 10 million people in the world the motivation to want to harm him...........we should let them, given the complete lack of action from 'legitimate' actors!
- Bobby Smith, london, 05/10/2009 10:11
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If he's this bad now, can you imagine what our "glorious leader" will be like as head of the EU.
- Bob, Cheam, 05/10/2009 10:07
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