That’s rich, Blair!
He says he’s not that wealthy – because most of his work is unpaid
MULTIMILLIONAIRE Tony Blair told his critics yesterday not to believe stories about how rich he was – insisting he spent 80 per cent of his time working for nothing.
The former Prime Minister, who is reported to have a £60million fortune, dismissed claims that he has been too greedy since leaving Downing Street.
He also admitted that Eurosceptic Tory employment minister Priti Patel, who hit out at the weekend against wealthy Remain campaigners, would have included him among those she said were ‘too rich and out of touch’ with ordinary Britons struggling with the effects of immigration.
However, speaking on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1 yesterday, he said those bankrolling the Leave campaign were ‘not exactly your ordinary person’ either.
Referring to accusations that he had become too rich and disconnected, he
‘We do good work around the world’
said: ‘What I say to that is if you’re reading stuff in the Press about what I do nowadays, don’t read it or believe it.
‘Go and look at my website and you’ll see what I actually do. I spend 80 per cent of my time on unpaid work.’
Since leaving No 10 in 2007, Mr Blair has established a complex network of companies, making it impossible to calculate his earnings accurately.
He rarely discusses his wealth, although he said reports that he amassed £100million were ‘greatly exaggerated’. Supporters say he has given millions to charity.
The ex-premier and his family control a property empire of some ten homes worth more than £25million. An investigation by the Daily Telegraph last year calculated he was worth £60million.
Mr Blair earns millions of pounds a year from his consultancy roles, and as much as £200,000 for a single speaking engagement.
Just last month the Daily Mail revealed he had touted his firm’s services to a dictator for £5.3million a year. He made the sales pitch to Nursultan Nazarbayev, offering the Kazakh president his ‘ unique personal experience and insights’. Mr Blair’s spokesman said he took ‘no personal fee from the project’.
Yesterday he said: ‘I’ve just spent weeks in the Middle East on the peace process there.
‘I have two foundations, I employ around about 200 people, I have to raise the money and make the money for all of them.
‘What we actually do is very good and exciting work around the world, but you won’t read a bit of it here. So if you want to know what I do go and read the facts.’
Meanwhile, he was also accused yesterday of a ‘breathtaking’ attempt to rewrite history after he repeatedly denied wanting Britain to scrap the pound for the euro. He rejected the charge that he supported the euro when he was leader after being challenged on Mr Marr’s show.
Critics said he had led a campaign to scrap the pound while he was in No 10. In 2002, he claimed it ‘would be a betrayal of our national interest’ not to join the euro.
But yesterday he said he did not want Britain to join it, was never in favour of it, and denied saying it would be a betrayal of the national interest if the country did not join.
Asked about it, he claimed: ‘I didn’t say that. I was always very clear that we should not join unless the economics were right.
‘So when people say, “Oh, they said all this about joining the single currency’’ – no, we didn’t.’
But Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said: ‘It is breathtaking. Tony Blair lives in a fantasy land. There is no truth, just his phoney memory. Tony Blair is trying to rewrite history.’
Tory MEP Daniel Hannan added: ‘Tony Blair claims he never favoured joining the euro. Does the man ever tell the truth about anything?’
In 1999, Mr Blair said: ‘Our intention is clear. Britain should join a successful single currency.’
Yesterday he said: ‘We were never in favour of Britain joining the euro, because in the end, as I say, the economics didn’t stack up.’
Asked if he had wanted Britain to join the euro, he responded: ‘No... politically I think it’s important that Britain’s at the heart of Europe.’
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