A new book “Broken Vows” by investigative journalist Tom Bower has revealed former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s attempts to make money in Nigeria.
London Evening Standard with his father, a former KGB colonel.
After a night at the Hilton Hotel, Blair called the following morning on the British High Commissioner.
Dropping in on British embassies had by then become a familiar routine: in every country Blair visits, he expects the embassy to provide him with a comprehensive security briefing and occasionally even overnight accommodation.
But although he was advising sovereign governments in ways that could conflict with British interests, no one at Whitehall had dared to end this perk.
At the Nigerian embassy, Blair was keen to discover more about the threat posed by Boko Haram, the Islamic terror group murdering hundreds of civilians in the north of the country.
Then, armed with the classified information, he sped in a motor cavalcade to the president’s office. It was their first meeting. Blair introduced himself grandly as ‘Britain’s most successful Prime Minister’ and then launched into his practised sales pitch.
‘I pioneered the skills to make government work effectively,’ he told the president. ‘The Delivery Unit is the leader’s weapon to make his government effective across the civil service and country.’
He offered to establish a delivery unit within Buhari’s government, with paid staff. But the
After a night at the Hilton Hotel, Blair called the following morning on the British High Commissioner.
Dropping in on British embassies had by then become a familiar routine: in every country Blair visits, he expects the embassy to provide him with a comprehensive security briefing and occasionally even overnight accommodation.
But although he was advising sovereign governments in ways that could conflict with British interests, no one at Whitehall had dared to end this perk.
At the Nigerian embassy, Blair was keen to discover more about the threat posed by Boko Haram, the Islamic terror group murdering hundreds of civilians in the north of the country.
Then, armed with the classified information, he sped in a motor cavalcade to the president’s office. It was their first meeting. Blair introduced himself grandly as ‘Britain’s most successful Prime Minister’ and then launched into his practised sales pitch.
‘I pioneered the skills to make government work effectively,’ he told the president. ‘The Delivery Unit is the leader’s weapon to make his government effective across the civil service and country.’
He offered to establish a delivery unit within Buhari’s government, with paid staff. But the
The book is
president — a former army general and military dictator famous for imprisoning his opponents without trial — looked bored.
So did Lebedev, who had only come along because he was interested in Blair’s charity work fighting the Ebola virus.
‘Could you all leave us alone now?’ Blair announced suddenly. ‘I have a personal message for the president from David Cameron.’
But it was nothing of the kind.
Twenty minutes later, Buhari emerged looking noticeably disgruntled.
Blair, he told an aide, had used his access to tout for business on behalf of his private company, Tony Blair Associates.
Without so much as a blush, he had offered to sell the president Israeli drones and other military equipment to help defeat the Boko Haram uprising. ‘Blair is just after business,’ muttered Buhari.
During the drive back to the airport, the local organiser for Blair’s AGI charity asked whether he was mixing charity and business. ‘We don’t do business in Africa,’ Blair replied.
‘Don’t worry. Only AGI and charitable work. We only do business in the
So did Lebedev, who had only come along because he was interested in Blair’s charity work fighting the Ebola virus.
‘Could you all leave us alone now?’ Blair announced suddenly. ‘I have a personal message for the president from David Cameron.’
But it was nothing of the kind.
Twenty minutes later, Buhari emerged looking noticeably disgruntled.
Blair, he told an aide, had used his access to tout for business on behalf of his private company, Tony Blair Associates.
Without so much as a blush, he had offered to sell the president Israeli drones and other military equipment to help defeat the Boko Haram uprising. ‘Blair is just after business,’ muttered Buhari.
During the drive back to the airport, the local organiser for Blair’s AGI charity asked whether he was mixing charity and business. ‘We don’t do business in Africa,’ Blair replied.
‘Don’t worry. Only AGI and charitable work. We only do business in the
president — a former army general and military dictator famous for imprisoning his opponents without trial — looked bored.
So did Lebedev, who had only come along because he was interested in Blair’s charity work fighting the Ebola virus.
‘Could you all leave us alone now?’ Blair announced suddenly. ‘I have a personal message for the president from David Cameron.’
But it was nothing of the kind.
Twenty minutes later, Buhari emerged looking noticeably disgruntled.
Blair, he told an aide, had used his access to tout for business on behalf of his private company, Tony Blair Associates.
So did Lebedev, who had only come along because he was interested in Blair’s charity work fighting the Ebola virus.
‘Could you all leave us alone now?’ Blair announced suddenly. ‘I have a personal message for the president from David Cameron.’
But it was nothing of the kind.
Twenty minutes later, Buhari emerged looking noticeably disgruntled.
Blair, he told an aide, had used his access to tout for business on behalf of his private company, Tony Blair Associates.
Without so much as a blush, he had offered to sell the president
Israeli drones and other military equipment to help defeat the Boko
Haram uprising. ‘Blair is just after business,’ muttered Buhari.
During the drive back to the airport, the local organiser for Blair’s AGI charity asked whether he was mixing charity and business. ‘We don’t do business in Africa,’ Blair replied.
‘Don’t worry. Only AGI and charitable work. We only do business in the
During the drive back to the airport, the local organiser for Blair’s AGI charity asked whether he was mixing charity and business. ‘We don’t do business in Africa,’ Blair replied.
‘Don’t worry. Only AGI and charitable work. We only do business in the
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