Tony Blair and his £250k globe-trotting guards (funded by the taxpayer)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ng-guards.html

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Full details of Tony Blair's travels in the past year graphically show how he is dividing his time between money-making deals, holidays and international diplomacy. A Mail on Sunday investigation has revealed how the taxpayer has spent more than £250,000 paying the expenses of police bodyguards travelling with the former Prime Minister as he added to his £20million fortune, relaxed on luxury breaks and pursued his role as a UN peace negotiator. It also can be revealed that the police - and therefore the taxpayer - sometimes pick up the bill for Mr Blair's transport. After an incident when police bodyguards paid the $230 cost of a limousine journey, a senior officer justified the expense with a note saying: 'When we make a decision around security matters ... it will fall down to us to pay.'

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http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/...24_634x318.jpg

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He added: 'I think that any moves away from this runs the risk of getting into the very public debate around the whole funding of [Mr Blair's] protection operations overseas.' Last week Mr Blair's office rejected calls for him to pay towards the cost of his armed guards, arguing that he spends most of his time on unpaid charity work and on trying to secure peace in the Middle East. The former Premier spent about eight months of last year out of Britain. But analysis of the travels of his security team - who fly with him and also in advance of overseas trips on security 'recces' - suggests he is also spending much of this time on his lucrative paid work.

Mr Blair is paid £2million a year as an adviser to Wall Street bank JP Morgan offering 'global strategic advice'. During a six-night trip to New York last September his bodyguards paid more than £465 a night to stay at the five-star Carlyle Hotel on fashionable Madison Avenue. Mr Blair is also paid for similar help by Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi investment fund. One two-night stay for protection officers at the luxurious Emirates Palace Hotel cost more than £850, with a cappuccino and 'traditional English Cake' costing £11.69.

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On one hand I can understand him needing the security, because if a member of my family was killed due to Blairs illegal war in Iraq based on a lie - well lets just say I wouldnt be very keen on the man. This is Tony Blair the champagne socialist at work, just like Lord Prescott another one who 'hated the establishment' and the House of Lords and guess what? now he is Lord Prescott!

I also read a few months back that Blair has links with a South Korean oil company who now have contracts in Iraq. It really is amazing this man went on to win three terms in office, it really is. It is even more amazing he is not in a dock now for war crimes.

Thoughts, should the taxpayer foot the bill for Blair outside of the United Kingdom?

I must admit I'm not too outraged, I wouldn't want any British Prime Minister to be killed whoever they are, it's quite embarrassing for a nation and shows weakness. The fact he's using it to profit though is wrong, if he's using them for business trips he should be forced to pay for the bill. However I hear Gordon Brown is likely to begin doing charity work etc all around the world, I've no objection to paying for his guards seeing as he won't be profiting and is actually doing a very good thing.