Our first outside contribution comes from Wilde, a graduate in political sciences, who has written a piece on Tony Blair's career since stepping down as British Prime Minister.
Since resigning as British Prime Minister in 2007 Tony Blair has become peace envoy to the Middle East, produced the best selling political memoirs in British publishing history, taken on a large number of advisory roles (most notably at JP Morgan), been paid to give speeches around the World, started a faith foundation and established Tony Blair Associates to name but a few exploits. In doing he so he has made himself a fortune, with some estimates claiming he has earned in excess of £20 million since leaving office, not to mention his property empire worth around £14 million, according to the Daily Telegraph. How has the 'whiter than white' ex-PM gone from moderate revolutionary and parliamentary God, to an internationally respected financial and political advisor and the architect of religious understanding and greater peace across the World's most tumultuous regions? Whether as an admirer you see him as renaissance man par excellence, or as a critic you think he is an opportunistic ex World leader using his status to open doors, one thing is clear, he's been pretty damn good at it.
The question seemingly on everybody's lips is, Tony Blair: Saint or Sinner? It is hard to say. His philanthropic exploits have often been admirable, and his attempts at promoting greater religious understanding through his Faith Foundation, form a valuable part of what is without doubt one of the most important and necessary pursuits of our age. There are however, an uncomfortable number of question marks hanging over many of his purported aims in his role as Middle East peace envoy. The Daily Telegraph has said his job as representative of the Quartet has been riddled with “very troubling ambiguity”. And in many respects, I can see why. It is clear that the king of the political sound-bite, has, with his trademark smile and 'call me Tony' aura assisted in brokering some pretty large scale deals for JP Morgan, for which he has been handsomely rewarded; having earned a reported (and conservatively estimated) £6 million from the the US investment bank since leaving office. It has been suggested by some in the City of London that this figure is actually far higher. Take for example, a case highlighted by Peter Oborne in the Daily Telegraph on September 24th 2011. Tony Blair successfully persuaded the Israeli Government to allow the company 'Wataniya Mobile' to operate in the West Bank. The owner of 'Wataniya' is QTEL (a Qatari telecoms company), and coincidently a “major client of one the former prime minister's most significant paymasters, JP Morgan”. This is just one case out of many which highlight an apparently large-scale conflict of interest, between his role as peace envoy and his business and financial endeavors. Dr Nicholas Allen (a lecturer in Politics at the University of London) has said that 6/7 of the Nolan principles - the ethical code for public servants imposed by Blair himself as Prime Minister - have been “undermined” by his actions. Given that a our dear Mr Blair is still in part funded by the British taxpayer, these are not conflicts of interest that should be overlooked or treated lightly. It certainly wouldn't wash were Tony Blair still an elected official in Britain or indeed if he worked for the World Bank or other such organizations. A money-making machine yet again pulling the wool over the eyes of the World.
So, who really is this man of many colours? What makes him tick? Very few people, I would wager, can answer those questions. We have all been allowed a glimpse at another oddity in his life; his deep religious convictions. His very public conversion to Roman Catholicism, and his willingness to defend and preach his beliefs in an omnipotent tyrant in the sky, has always left me rather confused. In this sense, one sees him more comfortably as a republican inhabitant of the White House than a modern and left-leaning tenant of No. 10. Yet another paradox in the life of the man, for whom the word 'paradox' it would seem, has never had a better subject.
Love him or loathe him however, I think we all, even if unwillingly, admire and respect him. Fourteen years ago, on May 2nd 1997, this towering figure of British politics formed his first government. Strangely now, his noteworthy political career seems dwarfed completely by his re-birth as international man of the moment. And indeed, I doubt whether the Right Honourable Gentleman will be shying away from public life anytime soon. I wait, with great interest to see where his name will arrive next.
Maestro; I dislike your politics, I distrust your aims...but my God am I glad, that just once in a while, Britain still produces people like you.
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