Blair Inc--The Man Behind the Mask

by Francis Beckett

  One of these, who worked in banking, thought the confidentiality agreement he had to sign in banks was ferocious – until he saw the one he had to sign before working for Tony Blair Associates. A bank’s confidentiality agreement could be two or three pages long; this was more than twenty. One source required to sign such a document questioned whether it would pass current legal tests. But he does not care to find out.

  Blair and the Blairites are genuinely baffled by why Blair is so reviled in Britain, hence the fury of Charles Clarke and the bafflement of John Rentoul, when we start asking questions; the instinct to close ranks against any intruder, to clam up and say nothing.

  A former senior member of his staff says, ‘My opinion is that his PR is rubbish because he feels so beleaguered; he thinks he’ll never get a fair hearing in the British press. There are a few journalists that he knows and trusts, like John Rentoul, but he feels that the press is out to get him in a way.

  ‘So he thinks, Even if I’m really cooperative with them, they’ll still write bad things about me, so I’m not going to bother, I’m just not going to talk to any of them. People think there is something to hide when there isn’t.’

  That may be the reason, or part of the reason. But it is also true that treating any and every bit of hard information like gold bullion, never to be given away, enables Blair’s spokespeople to throw dust in the faces of their pursuers. If you mention a figure – if you say, ‘Is this the amount Blair receives annually from the government of Kazakhstan?’ or, ‘Is this the proportion of his income that Tony Blair gives to his charities?’ – they will say, in a well-rehearsed phrase, that there has ‘been a lot of inaccuracy’ reported about his earnings.

  They will tell you that your figure is wrong, but not give you an alternative figure. So everyone who writes about them has to make the best estimates possible, from the information that is available, and then they can then tell you that you have failed to check the facts.

  His spokeswoman says the amount of money Blair gives to his charities is ‘substantial’, which tells us nothing. Why not tell us, and let us judge whether, against his earnings, it really is substantial? Why not do what the former member of his staff quoted above thinks he ought to be doing? ‘I would stick the charities and the commercial activities in the same organisation and show figures,’ says the former staff member. ‘His charities employ large numbers of people, who have to be paid, so he’s being phenomenally successful financially and, of course, he’s made his family wealthy, which John Major has set out to do as well.’

  If Tony Blair were a private individual, out in the world enriching himself the best he can – as his immediate predecessor John Major is – he could get away with this sort of thing. Rightly or wrongly, we demand lower standards of transparency from private companies.

  But most of Blair’s money comes from the public sector in different countries, and most of his time is spent doing public-sector work. It is as though Capita were to take over government or local authority functions, but then say that, as a private company, it did not have to tell the public anything about them.

  Tony Blair has turned himself into an international outsourcing company, very like Capita, but on a global scale. He will be, and should be, held to account for it in the international media. This book is an attempt to do just that.

  Notes

  1 Financial Times, 21 March 2014: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c1fc1f6a-

  afc3-11e3-9cd1-00144feab7de.html#axzz3RcyFtS69

  2 Daily Telegraph, 23 July 2012: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/

  politics/tony-blair/9420909/Tony-Blair-The-West-is-

  asleep-on-the-issue-of-Islamist-extremism.html

  3 Nonprofit Quarterly, 1 December 2014: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/policysocial-

  context/25241-save-the-children-s-own-staff-deem-

  tony-blair-s-humanitarian-award-reprehensible.html

  4 The Guardian, 28 November 2014: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/

  2014/nov/28/save-the-children-tony-blair-award-row

  5 Washington Post, 26 November 2014: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs

  /worldviews/wp/2014/11/26/what-

  is-tony-blairs-global-legacy/

  6 http://www.38degrees.org.uk/, 27 January 2015: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk

  /2015/01/27/tony-blair-global-

  legacy-award-campaign/

  7 New Republic, 4 October 2012: http://www.newrepublic.com/

  article/politics/magazine/107248/

  buckraking-around-the-world-tony-blair

  INDEX

  (the initials CB refer to Cherie Blair, TB to Tony Blair)

  Aaronovitch, David 1, 2

  Abbas, Mahmoud 1, 2, 3

  Ablyazov, Mukhtar 1, 2

  Abrams, Elliott 1

  Abu Dhabi 1, 2 conference in 1, 2

  TB’s dealings with 1

  TB’s Quartet visits to 1, 2

  Abu Dhabi Investment Authority 1

  Abusseitov, Kairat 1

  Adams, Stephen 1

  Adonis, Lord (Andrew) 1, 2, 3, 4

  Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) 1, 2

  Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) 1, 2, 3, 4 and Ebola xxiv, 1, 2, 3

  short description of 1

  Agyei, Steve 1

  Aitken, Jonathan 1

  Al Abolly, Nasser 1

  Al Asousi, Abdullah 1

  al-Assad, Bashar 1, 2, 3, 4

  Al-Ghabra, Haneen 1

  al-Mahmoudi, Al Baghdadi Ali 1

  al-Masri, Bashar 1

  al-Megrahi, Abdelbaset Ali Mohammed 1, 2, 3, 4

  Al Mubarak, Khaldoon 1

  Al Nahyan, Sheikh 1, 2, 3

  al-Sabah, Sheikh 1, 2

  Al-Shatti, Dr Ismail Khudr 1, 2, 3, 4

  Al Thani, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor 1

  Albanese, Tom 1

  Albania 1, 2

  Alexander, Douglas 1, 2, 3

  Aliyev, Ilham 1, 2

  Aliyev, Rakhat 1

  Allan, Tim 1, 2 short biography of 1

  Allen, Sir Mark 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 short biography of 1

  Allen, Dr Nicholas 1

  Almutairi, Naser 1

  Amato, Giuliano 1

  Amery, Leo 1

  Amnesty International, and Kazakhstan 1

  Amos, Stephen 1

  Andrew, Prince 1, 2

  Angell, Richard 1

  Annan, Kofi 1

  APP 1

  Arab News 1

  Arafat, Yasser 1, 2, 3

  Arnault, Bernard 1

  Article 1 2

  Asato, Jessica 1

  Ashdown, Lord (Paddy) 1

  Ashkenazi, Goga 1

  Ashrawi, Dr Hanan 1, 2, 3, 4 short biography of 1

  Ashton, Baroness (Catherine) 1 and Gaza blockade 1

  Asres, Meles Zenawi 1

  Assad, President 1

  Assenova, Margarita 1

  Attitude 1

  Attlee, Clement 1

  Attridge, Prof. Harold 1

  Azerbaijan 1, 2 TB’s dealings with 1, 2

  Bahrain 1, 2, 3

  Baird, Nick 1

  Baker, Kenneth 1

  Baker, Norman 1

  Balladur, Edouard 1

  Balls, Ed 1, 2

  Ban Ki-moon 1

  Banner, Nick 1, 2, 3 short biography of 1

  Barak, Ehud 1, 2

  Barber, Lionel 1

  Barber, Sir Michael 1

  Barroso, José Manuel 1

  Bassett, Phil 1, 2

  Bearman, Kate 1, 2

  Belarus 1, 2

  Belhaj, Abdelhakim 1

  Bell, Lord (Tim) 1

  Bell Pottinger 1, 2, 3

  Bell, Torsten 1

  Benedict XVI, Pope 1

  Bennett, Sir Erik 1

  Benton, Joe 1

  Berlusconi, Silvio 1

  Betfair 1, 2

  BG Group 1

  Bilderberg Group 1

  Bildt, Carl 1

  Birt, Lord 1

  Blacks
tone, Tessa 1

  Blair, Cherie: bar studies of 1

  and Catholic doctrine 1, 2

  changed accent of 1

  and children’s properties, see under individual children’s names

  commercial and charitable interests of, see Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; Magnitude; Matrix Chambers; Mee Healthcare; Omnia Strategy

  Downing Street left by 1

  and due-diligence sector 1

  financial security needed by 1

  half-sister’s relationship with, see Booth, Lauren

  and Kazakhstan 1

  properties owned by TB and, see under Blair, Tony

  remuneration of: as lawyer 1

  as speaker 1

  and rumours of TB’s affairs 1

  separateness of, from TB 1

  short biography of 1

  as TB’s ‘consort’ 1

  Blair, Euan 1, 2, 3 property of 1

  Blair, Kathryn 1, 2 property of 1

  Blair, Leo 1

  Blair, Nicky 1, 2, 3, 4 property of 1

  Blair (née Ashman), Suzanne 1, 2

  Blair, Tony: Brown’s war with 1, 2, 3, 4

  Catholicism embraced by 1

  and CB, see under Blair, Cherie

  and charity donations 1, 2, 3

  and children’s properties, see under individual children’s names

  clever tax accountants used by 1

  cost of security for 1

  ‘damaged his reputation’ 1

  ‘Demon Eyes’ campaign against 1

  doomed premiership of 1

  Downing Street left by 1, 2, 3

  and Europe presidency bid 1, 2 Iraq War an obstacle to 1

  smaller EU countries’ opposition to 1

  French speech of 1

  future-of-Europe speeches of 1

  Global Legacy Award for 1

  in Hebron 1

  ‘human cash register’ 1

  infrequent Gaza visits by 1

  Israeli intelligence official appointed by 1

  Israeli sanctions backed by 1

  as Israel’s ‘defence attorney’ 1

  and JP Morgan, see JP Morgan

  last PM’s speech of 1

  ‘lost soul’ 1

  memoir of 1, 2, 3

  Miliband’s coded warfare with 1

  Palestine distrusts 1

  peerage declined by 1

  Philanthropist of the Year Award for 1

  plummeting respect for 1

  and ‘problem within Islam’ 1, 2

  properties owned by CB and 1, 2, 3 Connaught Square 1

  listed 1

  South Pavilion 1

  and Quartet, see Israel; Palestine; Quartet and religion 1; see also Tony Blair Faith Foundation

  remuneration of: as peacemaker 1

  pension 1, 2, 3, 4

  as speaker 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  as teacher 1

  and Rigby murder 1, 2

  ‘for sale’ 1

  shoes thrown at 1

  short biography of 1

  steps down as MP 1

  ‘total irrelevancy’ 1

  ‘useless, useless, useless’ 1

  ‘wants to re-engage in the UK’ 1

  worth of 1, 2, 3

  see also Tony Blair Faith Foundation

  Blumenthal, Max 1

  Bo Xilai 1

  Booth, Lauren 1 CB’s loan to 1

  short biography of 1

  on TB’s Middle East role 1

  Booth, Tony 1, 2

  Bootle 1

  BP 1, 2, 3, 4

  Bragg, Valerie 1

  Brazil: TB’s dealings with 1

  see also Movimento Brasil Competitivo

  Bright, Martin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 short biography of 1

  British Gas 1

  Brooks, Rebekah 1, 2, 3

  Brown, Gordon 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Blair’s war with 1, 2, 3, 4

  general election lost by 1

  and ‘Notgordon Brown’ 1

  and TB’s Europe presidency bid 1, 2, 3, 4

  Brown Lloyd James (BLJ) 1, 2, 3, 4

  Brummer, Alex 1, 2, 3

  Buchanan, Duncan 1

  Buckingham, Tony 1

  Burma 1 Buddhist–Muslim conflict in 1

  human rights in 1

  TB’s dealings with 1, 2, 3

  Burnham, Andy 1

  Bush, George W. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  Byers, Stephen 1, 2, 3, 4 short biography of 1

  Byrne, Liam 1

  Cable, Vince 1

  Camarano, Erik 1

  Camdessus, Michael 1

  Cameron, David 1 and Juncker 1, 2

  in Kazakhstan 1

  and Syria 1

  Campbell, Alastair 1, 2, 3

  Caplin, Carole 1, 2, 3

  Capp, Joe 1, 2

  Carswell, Douglas 1

  Catholic Action UK 1

  Chamberlain, Neville 1

  Chandra, Varun 1, 2

  Chartres, Rt Rev. Richard 1

  Cherie Blair Foundation for Women 1, 2

  Chilcot Inquiry 1, 2

  China 1, 2, 3

  China Investment Corporation 1, 2

  Choi, Kyu-Sun 1

  Clarke, Charles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 outrage of, re current work 1, 2

  short biography of 1

  TB grooms 1

  Clarke, Kenneth 1

  Clinton, Bill 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  Clinton, Hillary 1 TB’s letter to 1, 2

  Clinton, Robert 1

  Coffey, Rev. David 1

  Coke, Robert 1

  Collins, Tim 1, 2, 3 short biography of 1

  Colombia, TB’s dealings with 1

  Commission for Africa 1

  Conaghan, Dan 1

  Condé, Alpha 1, 2, 3

  Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

  Consolidated Contractors Corporation, short description of 1

  Cook, Jonathan 1

  Cook, Robin 1

  Costa, Ken 1

  Crider, Cori 1

  Cromwell, Oliver 1

  Crowley, Julie 1

  da Silva, Reinaldo 1

  Daily Mail 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

  Daily Mirror 1

  Daily Telegraph 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

  d’Ancona, Matthew 1

  Darby, Craig 1

  Darroch, Sir Kim 1

  de Soto, Alvaro 1

  Deans, Stevie 1

  Democratic Republic of Congo 1, 2

  Deripaska, Oleg 1, 2, 3

  Diamond, Bob 1

  Dimon, Jamie 1

  Dispatches: BT furious with 1

  and Byers 1, 2

  and JPM 1, 2, 3

  and TB’s Kuwait earnings 1

  DLA-Piper, short description of 1

  Donnelly, Martin 1

  Dowd, Peter 1, 2

  Doyle, Matthew 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Draper, Derek 1, 2

  Dyke, Greg 1, 2, 3

  Dzhakishev, Moukhtar 1

  Eagle, Angela 1

  Ebola 1, 2, 3

  Ecclestone, Bernie 1

  Economist 1, 2, 3

  Edwards, Rev. Joel 1

  Edwards, Laura 1

  Egypt: and gas to Israel 1

  TB’s dealings with 1, 2

  el-Sisi, Abdel Fattah 1, 2

  Evans, Sir Dick 1

  Falkirk 1

  Farmaner, Mark 1, 2

  Fean, Sir Vincent 1

  Ferrero-Waldner, Benita 1

  Financial Times 1, 2, 3, 4

  Firerush 1, 2 short description of 1

  wealth generation of, tabulated 1

  see also Tony Blair Associates

  Flamiano, Charles 1

  Flynn, Alex 1, 2

  Fokina, Ninel 1

  Forbes 1, 2, 3

  Forsyth, Justin 1, 2

  Foster, Norman 1

  Francis, Pope 1, 2

  Fuller, Mark 1

  Gaddafi, Col. Muammar 1, 2, 3 passim, 4, 5 short biography of 1

  Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam
1, 2, 3, 4

  Galloway, George 1, 2

  Gaza: Hamas seizes power in 1

  Israeli war crimes in 1

  Israel’s 2014 assault on 1

  Israel’s blockade of 1, 2

  TB’s infrequent visits to 1

  Geldof, Bob 1

  GEMS 1, 2

  general election: 1997 1

  2010 1, 2, 3, 4

  2015 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Genscher, Hans 1

  Gerber, Jennifer 1

  Gibson, Ian 1

  Giffen, James 1

  Gilbert, Miranda 1

  Giscard d’Estaing, Valéry 1, 2, 3

  Gladstone, April 1

  Gladstone, David 1

  Glasenberg, Ivan 1

  Glass, Maree 1, 2

  Glencore 1, 2, 3

  Global Counsel 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 short description of 1

  Global Witness 1, 2

  Goldsmith, Zac 1, 2

  Goldstone, Richard 1

  Goodchild, Stanley 1

  Gould, Philip 1

  Government Advisory Practice (GAP) 1

  GQ 1

  Grant, Rachel 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 short biography of 1

  Grayling, Chris 1

  Greene, Martha 1, 2

  Greene, Dr Toby 1

  Greenpeace 1

  Grewal, Prof. Jagtar Singh 1

  Grice, Andrew 1

  Gross, Kate 1

  Guardian 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

  Guinea 1, 2, 3, 4

  Gulf News 1

  Gummer, John 1

  Ha’Aretz 1, 2, 3