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Blair's farewell tour cost taxpayers over £700,000
Tony Blair's globetrotting "farewell tour" before leaving Downing Street cost the taxpayer more than £700,000, it was admitted last night.
Trips to Africa, the Middle East, America and Europe during Mr Blair's final two months in office left a bill for 724,686.
The most expensive leg was a frenetic four days in May last year when the then-prime minister visited Washington, Kuwait, Baghdad and Basra with a retinue of 18 officials, at a cost of 319,100.
Just over a week later he set off again accompanied by 30 officials, spending 314,755 on flying visits to Libya, Sierra Leone, Liberia and South Africa.
The "farewell tour" was condemned as an ego-trip by political opponents at the time, although Mr Blair insisted it had been worthwhile.
Mr Blair made nine trips during his final two months and a leaked memo from his advisers revealed plans for him to be seen at "iconic sites" as he prepared to leave office, playing up his status as a world statesman.
Mr Blair's wife Cherie accompanied him to Liberia, South Africa and the G8 summit in Germany, according to the ministerial travel details released by the Cabinet Office last night.
The records show that Gordon Brown was slightly more frugal after taking over as premier in June. Over nine months, he went on 13 trips, with a total cost of 951,481.
But Mr Brown has been wining and dining visitors to Chequers. Entrepreneur Sir Alan Sugar was among dozens of guests, from royalty to record producers.
A list of all those who joined the Prime Minister and his wife Sarah at the country retreat, published yesterday, reads like a who's who of big business, showbiz and politics.
Veteran actor and film director Lord Attenborough, comedy writer and anti-poverty campaigner Richard Curtis, playwright Sir Tom Stoppard and Beatles producer Sir George Martin headed the cast of entertainment personalities and there was also a smattering of society names.
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