“The Journey”
Tony Blair’s book “The Journey” was published last year. Don’t say you’ve forgotten.
There was quite a furore around his book signing appointments when two were cancelled because Mr Blair was feart of anti-war protestors. We, as taxpayers, also paid for his police protection when he did attend signings and we still pay for his protection when he’s in the UK – another misuse of taxpayers’ money when it could be spent on those who are far more deserving and have brought pleasure to thousands for many years.
It was reported that the former Prime Minister received an advance of £4.6m for “A Journey” and said he would hand over all the money he makes – including the advance – to the Royal British Legion: “as a way of marking the enormous sacrifice [the armed forces] make for the security of our people and the world.”
Mr Blair’s statement was made in August last year. The RBL were criticised for accepting such a gift but said it would help it hit its £12m fundraising target.
However RBL accountants can find no mention of the charity having received any monies from Mr Blair, although the latest accounts only cover the 12 months to the end of September last year. Time enough for Mr Blair to have contributed his advance I’d have thought.
The RBL are saying next to nothing and the same tactic is being used by Tony Blair’s office.
I never liked Blair. He is of the same Chief Salesman pie mould as our current PM; all pastry and no filling. At the time his ‘largesse’ didn’t surprise me because he abused our armed forces during his terms of office by sending them to wars for his own political ends. He hasn’t changed.
Original on Subrosa Blonde
July 13, 2011 at 11:49
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I look at his picture and can’t help but think
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/trollface-coolface-problem#.Th13r2HIbM8
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July 12, 2011 at 23:23
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To my eternal shame I actually bought ‘A Journey’ and gave up on it very
quickly as the smarmy, self righteous bunk on every page made me heave. And he
referred way too many times to his thesaurus for my liking.
I never believed he would give up the cash. If you can lie about an entire
war, then handing over book royalties for a good (and well deserved) cause is
just a tiny little fib!
- July 12, 2011 at 17:05
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Shameless, I’m sure that Polly Toynbee will be on that story like a dog on
a bone.
chirrup, chirrup………..chirrup, a tumbleweed blows by.
- July 12, 2011 at 16:30
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I can’t help feeling that Blair’s case it is a matter of once a liar always
a liar but then doesn’t this cover all politicians.
- July 12, 2011 at 12:41
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Reminds me of that Simpsons episode where Krusty the Klown pledges $1
million dollars to a kid’s charity. Someone wanders on stage during another
telethon and shames him by revealing that he hasn’t paid a dime of the money
he promised.
He announces, “please let nothing STOP!! the PAYMENT!! of this cheque” –
brilliant stuff…
- July 12,
2011 at 12:02
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There’s little point in doing that now Akvavitix as the RBL’s accounting
year finishes in September so we should know once they’re presented.
- July 12, 2011 at 11:31
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There is one big diffrence btween Blair and Cameron. Blair was a much
better actor! Cameron tries his best but is just not convincing in his current
role.
- July 12, 2011 at
10:11
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What ever we think of Blair (and I hold no candle for him whatsoever) he is
still a British citizen (albeit not a confirmed current British taxpayer) and
he is therefore entitled to protection from the police if his safety is in
jeopardy. The cost of this, heavy though it no doubt is, cannot be a cause for
complaint. We might expect similar protection if our lives were credibly
threatened.
It is reasonable to ask why quite so many people wish him harm, and was he
responsible for this himself in any way.
I would point out however that he enjoys armed protection as do all our
leading politicos, something which he (and they) deny the rest of of and it
shows that hypocracy is alive and well
- July 12,
2011 at 12:10
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I don’t see why the taxpayer should pay for his protection when he goes
on private foreign holidays and private business trips abroad SAOT. These
are actions which are personal choice. http://tgr.ph/obeBBk (at the end).
- July 12, 2011 at 16:03
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I should perhaps have qualified the statement with, whilst resident in
the UK.
- July 12, 2011 at 09:17
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This is pretty shocking – even for Blair.
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July 12, 2011 at 08:55
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Welcome Subrosa! And a fine hard hitting piece too! But surely you can’t
mean to suggest that Tony Blair (or indeed our present PM) would tell a fib do
you? That would be outrageous…
- July 12,
2011 at 12:05
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Thank you Gildas. Outrageous? Me? Never! Somehow I think people in the
Blair Empire will be writing cheques right now. Not to the tune of millions
though – just enough to keep the MSM off the case.
- July 12,
2011 at 08:14
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Maybe some crusading newspaper would like to try and shame him into it?
Oh. Right. We don’t have crusading newspapers. And he doesn’t seem to
possess an iota of shame.
- July 12, 2011 at 07:47
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That face. Can we have a button to click that causes a high speed object to
impact with it?
In the spirit of entrepreneurealism it could double up as a
donate button, someone could buy France after 30 mins…
- July 12, 2011 at 08:31
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I’m not religious but a phrase comes to mind-
“What profit a man if he
gains the whole world but loses his own soul?”
- July 12,
2011 at 06:31
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Can an FOI request not get any data out of RBL about any contributions
received thiis year?
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