Boris Johnson turns down Tony Blair’s bid for extra resources as his total bill hits taxpayer for almost £3m a year
Ex-PM's soaring expenses have raised eyebrows in Whitehall
BORIS Johnson has turned down a new bid by Tony Blair for yet more resources - as his total bill on the taxpayer hits almost £3m a year, The Sun can reveal.
The former Labour PM’s soaring expenses and police protection costs as he jet-sets around the world has caused alarm in the Foreign Office.
The snub is believed to be the first time a Foreign Secretary has acted to rein in the 63-year-old mutli-millionaire’s spending since he left No.10 nine and a half years ago.
Mr Blair recently issued the Foreign Office with a fresh demand for access to further equipment and staff.
He presented it to Boris – who has to sign off all ex-Premiers’ state spending as part of his Cabinet job – during a discreet face-to-face Whitehall meeting in October.
The fresh shopping list for his Middle East “work” included more armoured cars and escort vehicles, and drivers to operate them.
And in a move that especially raised mandarins’ eyebrows, the former Labour boss also asked for diplomatic number plates to be installed on the vehicles.
Officials estimated the extra resources to be worth an additional £100,000 a year.
The Foreign Secretary asked staff to tot up the current figure for taxpayers’ spending on Mr Blair.
And when Boris was told it is now nearing £3million a year, he threw out the request.
Boris delivered his decision to Mr Blair in a formal letter.
Teasing him by paraphrasing one of his famous quotes as PM, Boris wrote: “Sadly I feel the hand of prudence on my shoulder. At this time, I can’t provide you with additional money”.
Mr Blair’s multiple trips to far flung destinations around the world has made him by far the most costly ex-Prime Minister of the four alive.
His new resources request came despite Blair no longer having any official role in the Middle East, after giving up the job of special envoy to the Quartet – the UN, US, EU and Russia – in May 2015.
His Middle East travelling is particularly costly because of his large security detail, with one of Mr Blair’s day trips into Gaza raising a bill of £10,000 alone.
A Government source said: “Blair is costing us an awful lot of money, and nobody is clear exactly what he’s achieving by it.
“We can’t take it all away, as he’s entitled as an ex-Prime Minister. But we can stop him from spending any more.
“Wanting diplomatic plates is also pretty outrageous, as that makes him look like a Government representative - which he is not.”
Tony Blair’s office last night insisted the ex-PM had offered to pay for the cost of any of the additional resources.
His aides also insisted he still carries out work for the peace process from his office in Israel.
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A spokeswoman for Mr Blair said: “Mr Blair is not asking for more security resources.
“Any security requests come from the Metropolitan Police not his office.
“This story may refer to a request to use the armoured vehicles in the Tel Aviv Embassy which are largely unused and which we offered to pay for.
“This is in connection with the Middle East peace process work he continues to do.
“The request was refused and other arrangements have been made.”
An Foreign Office spokesman said: “We never comments on any private meetings”.