"In 2007 Tony Blair stepped down as Prime Minister, but his surging momentum's shown no signs of slowing. Alongside his role as a Middle East peace envoy, Blair's channelled his energy into philanthropy, establishing three charities. The Tony Blair Sports Foundation pairs volunteer sport coaches with children in Britain's North East and his Faith Foundation aims to reconcile the three Abrahamic faiths, but his most ambitious is the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative.
Launched in 2008, the foundation operates in six African countries - Sierra Leone, Rwanda Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal - where teams work alongside government bodies to bridge the gap between African leaders' visions for a better future and their government's ability to implement it. In Sierra Leone, for example, AGI has helped delivered an entirely free healthcare programme that's cut the number of children in hospital dying from malaria by 80 per cent.
On winning Philanthropist of year, Blair says, "I would like to dedicate this award to the people that work with and for my organisations. I feel the pulse of progress beating a little harder."
He clearly has the right friends in the right places. The kiss ass portrayal of him in the film "The Queen" made me both laugh and feel sick at the same time.
I am personally suspicious of people who set up charitable foundations in their own names rather than trying to keep a level of anonimity. I fully expect it when it is in the name of a deceased loved-one, as it then becomes a vehicle for remembrance as well as charity. But when people use their own names it strikes me as a slightly distasteful way of showing-off. The self-publicisim detracts from the philanthropy.
I can hear in my head Blair saying the words above that Henry has quoted, "I would like to dedicate this award to the people that work with and for my organisations". But as I hear it the word "my" is exaggerated in the manner of a selfish two-year-old taking a toy from someone and proclaiming, "MINE".
Has someone gone and redefined philanthropist whilst I wasn't looking?
I think you're right Rizzo they must have redefined 'philanthropist'. To describe the conceited slug Blair using the same term applied to Bill Gates and other like minded billionaire contributors to the Gates Foundation (including Warren Buffett) is absolutely appalling.
From The Telegraph in 2010 In 2010, his personal office cost the taxpayer £6 million per year He owns 7 homes, worth in 2010 £14 million. he is thought to have made up to £20 million from consultancy, private companies and public appearances since leaving office in 2007. As well as lucrative advisory roles for JP Morgan and Zurich Financial Services, he also set up Tony Blair Associates, which receives payments for advising both the Kuwaiti government and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund. Former ministers are supposed to provide details of their income after leaving Parliament. But Mr Blair fought a two-year battle with the independent scrutiny committee to keep secret his job with UI Energy Corporation, a South Korean oil firm. The former prime minister insisted the terms of the deal were “commercially sensitive”. He commands six-figure sums on the after-dinner lecture circuit, where he is usually booked through the Washington Speakers Bureau whose stable includes George W Bush. One speech in China earned him a reported £200,000. But Mr Blair’s income flows through a series of companies and limited partnerships.
Mike Warburton, a senior tax partner at the accountants Grant Thornton, said that the network of companies made it almost impossible to establish his earnings since leaving Parliament. “They are opaque. We don’t know where the money comes from or where it goes to, but at the end of the chain you have a company that does not file accounts, so one can only presume it is to keep it secret,” said Mr Warburton.
"In 2007 Tony Blair stepped down as Prime Minister, but his surging momentum's shown no signs of slowing. Alongside his role as a Middle East peace envoy, Blair's channelled his energy into philanthropy, establishing three charities. The Tony Blair Sports Foundation pairs volunteer sport coaches with children in Britain's North East and his Faith Foundation aims to reconcile the three Abrahamic faiths, but his most ambitious is the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative.
Launched in 2008, the foundation operates in six African countries - Sierra Leone, Rwanda Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal - where teams work alongside government bodies to bridge the gap between African leaders' visions for a better future and their government's ability to implement it. In Sierra Leone, for example, AGI has helped delivered an entirely free healthcare programme that's cut the number of children in hospital dying from malaria by 80 per cent.
On winning Philanthropist of year, Blair says, "I would like to dedicate this award to the people that work with and for my organisations. I feel the pulse of progress beating a little harder."
Interesting. Because the "six" nations are actually seven: Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal. I thought that might have been a mistake. So I checked. And on the AGI website it is definitely six. Only it's a different six. Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan. Although, on clicking the button marked "find out more about our work in Malawi", you get taken to a page that says "Oops, page not found". So it's five.
So it's either the seven listed in the press release, which is claimed to be six; or it's the five listed on the website, which is claimed to be six.
Somewhere, this dossier seems to have been "sixed up".
This award is a total and utter scam. Disgraceful.
It's only from GQ Mag, not a Nobel Peace Prize!
True, but it is very galling that the sanctimonious bell is being given more oxygen of publicity and being hailed as some sort of humanitarian, even if it is by a magazine that seems to be 80% adverts for watches
I thought it was odd, but then instead of going on a rampage about how the man is a scumbag I looked up what he did...and well it turns out he's done a lot of good.
I agree with Stig about foundations being named after people, however if they want their name above the door in order to invest than fair enough. The main one (AGI) is however not named after him.
I didn't agree with the Iraq war, I think we were stitched up about the truth but people have the capacity to do both good and bad things. Not everyone falls into the category of good and bad. Not everything is as black and white as our media likes to portray it.
From The Telegraph in 2010 In 2010, his personal office cost the taxpayer £6 million per year He owns 7 homes, worth in 2010 £14 million. he is thought to have made up to £20 million from consultancy, private companies and public appearances since leaving office in 2007. As well as lucrative advisory roles for JP Morgan and Zurich Financial Services, he also set up Tony Blair Associates, which receives payments for advising both the Kuwaiti government and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund. Former ministers are supposed to provide details of their income after leaving Parliament. But Mr Blair fought a two-year battle with the independent scrutiny committee to keep secret his job with UI Energy Corporation, a South Korean oil firm. The former prime minister insisted the terms of the deal were “commercially sensitive”. He commands six-figure sums on the after-dinner lecture circuit, where he is usually booked through the Washington Speakers Bureau whose stable includes George W Bush. One speech in China earned him a reported £200,000. But Mr Blair’s income flows through a series of companies and limited partnerships.
Mike Warburton, a senior tax partner at the accountants Grant Thornton, said that the network of companies made it almost impossible to establish his earnings since leaving Parliament. “They are opaque. We don’t know where the money comes from or where it goes to, but at the end of the chain you have a company that does not file accounts, so one can only presume it is to keep it secret,” said Mr Warburton.
Yeah but Warburton's an arse who could barely reconcile his own current account. He just gets wheeled out every now and again to provide a soundbite.
From The Telegraph in 2010 In 2010, his personal office cost the taxpayer £6 million per year He owns 7 homes, worth in 2010 £14 million. he is thought to have made up to £20 million from consultancy, private companies and public appearances since leaving office in 2007. As well as lucrative advisory roles for JP Morgan and Zurich Financial Services, he also set up Tony Blair Associates, which receives payments for advising both the Kuwaiti government and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund. Former ministers are supposed to provide details of their income after leaving Parliament. But Mr Blair fought a two-year battle with the independent scrutiny committee to keep secret his job with UI Energy Corporation, a South Korean oil firm. The former prime minister insisted the terms of the deal were “commercially sensitive”. He commands six-figure sums on the after-dinner lecture circuit, where he is usually booked through the Washington Speakers Bureau whose stable includes George W Bush. One speech in China earned him a reported £200,000. But Mr Blair’s income flows through a series of companies and limited partnerships.
Mike Warburton, a senior tax partner at the accountants Grant Thornton, said that the network of companies made it almost impossible to establish his earnings since leaving Parliament. “They are opaque. We don’t know where the money comes from or where it goes to, but at the end of the chain you have a company that does not file accounts, so one can only presume it is to keep it secret,” said Mr Warburton.
Yeah but Warburton's an arse who could barely reconcile his own current account. He just gets wheeled out every now and again to provide a soundbite.
..and the rest of the articles facts and figures?
Do you know why Blair, the beacon of the free world, fought so hard to keep his many, many revenue streams secret by not filing accounts? Is that a soundbite or fact?
I wonder how many other philanthropists charge £200,000 for a 45 minute speech. Obviously the private jet has to be factored in, I mean god forbid the man travels with ordinary people. Clients of his commercial consultancy firm have included the governments of Kazakhstan, Kuwait and Colombia.
Kardashian is an unapologetic manufactured celebrity who has been behind the highest revenue mobile app of the year, earning her and her company millions and millions on iOS and Android. Like her or hate her, as a brand/woman she has been a massive success and not just that but an industry leader in maximising your personal brand in a digital world.
Tony Blair is a war criminal who continues to profit from advising dictatorships and genocidal regimes.
I dislike both but can completely understand the award for the former.
Comments
Launched in 2008, the foundation operates in six African countries - Sierra Leone, Rwanda Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal - where teams work alongside government bodies to bridge the gap between African leaders' visions for a better future and their government's ability to implement it. In Sierra Leone, for example, AGI has helped delivered an entirely free healthcare programme that's cut the number of children in hospital dying from malaria by 80 per cent.
On winning Philanthropist of year, Blair says, "I would like to dedicate this award to the people that work with and for my organisations. I feel the pulse of progress beating a little harder."
This statistic sums him up:
4 - number of times as prime minister that Tony Blair visited Cliff Richard’s Barbados home for family holidays
2 - number of times as Middle East peace envoy that Tony Blair has visited Gaza
I can hear in my head Blair saying the words above that Henry has quoted, "I would like to dedicate this award to the people that work with and for my organisations". But as I hear it the word "my" is exaggerated in the manner of a selfish two-year-old taking a toy from someone and proclaiming, "MINE".
To describe the conceited slug Blair using the same term applied to Bill Gates and other like minded billionaire contributors to the Gates Foundation (including Warren Buffett) is absolutely appalling.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10551183/Tony-Blairs-fortune-boosted-13m-by-bumper-year.html
Disgraceful.
He had a bumper year this year apparently - £13 million.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10551183/Tony-Blairs-fortune-boosted-13m-by-bumper-year.html
From The Telegraph in 2010
In 2010, his personal office cost the taxpayer £6 million per year
He owns 7 homes, worth in 2010 £14 million.
he is thought to have made up to £20 million from consultancy, private companies and public appearances since leaving office in 2007.
As well as lucrative advisory roles for JP Morgan and Zurich Financial Services, he also set up Tony Blair Associates, which receives payments for advising both the Kuwaiti government and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund.
Former ministers are supposed to provide details of their income after leaving Parliament. But Mr Blair fought a two-year battle with the independent scrutiny committee to keep secret his job with UI Energy Corporation, a South Korean oil firm. The former prime minister insisted the terms of the deal were “commercially sensitive”.
He commands six-figure sums on the after-dinner lecture circuit, where he is usually booked through the Washington Speakers Bureau whose stable includes George W Bush.
One speech in China earned him a reported £200,000. But Mr Blair’s income flows through a series of companies and limited partnerships.
Mike Warburton, a senior tax partner at the accountants Grant Thornton, said that the network of companies made it almost impossible to establish his earnings since leaving Parliament.
“They are opaque. We don’t know where the money comes from or where it goes to, but at the end of the chain you have a company that does not file accounts, so one can only presume it is to keep it secret,” said Mr Warburton.
So it's either the seven listed in the press release, which is claimed to be six; or it's the five listed on the website, which is claimed to be six.
Somewhere, this dossier seems to have been "sixed up".
Move on.
I agree with Stig about foundations being named after people, however if they want their name above the door in order to invest than fair enough. The main one (AGI) is however not named after him.
I didn't agree with the Iraq war, I think we were stitched up about the truth but people have the capacity to do both good and bad things. Not everyone falls into the category of good and bad. Not everything is as black and white as our media likes to portray it.
Whenever I see Kardashian, "The worst job I ever had" from Derek & Clive live plays through my head.
Anyway, as far as Blair is concerned, words just fail me.
Do you know why Blair, the beacon of the free world, fought so hard to keep his many, many revenue streams secret by not filing accounts? Is that a soundbite or fact?
I wonder how many other philanthropists charge £200,000 for a 45 minute speech. Obviously the private jet has to be factored in, I mean god forbid the man travels with ordinary people.
Clients of his commercial consultancy firm have included the governments of Kazakhstan, Kuwait and Colombia.
Tony Blair is a war criminal who continues to profit from advising dictatorships and genocidal regimes.
I dislike both but can completely understand the award for the former.
:-)