Blair’s Charity in Africa Spends More Than Half Its Income On Staff

When Tony Blair launched the Sports Foundation charity in 2007, the former British prime minister said he wanted “to give something back to the North-East.”

Four years later, questions are being raised about how big a contribution his charity network is making to in the region.

In January 2011, the Telegraph reported that the Sports Foundation spent only £33,929 (US$53,000) on charitable activities in the first in its first financial period, compared with £37,621 (US$58,700) spent on four staff members.

When Tony Blair launched the Sports Foundation charity in 2007, the former British prime minister said he wanted “to give something back to the North-East.”

Four years later, questions are being raised about how big a contribution his charity network is making to in the region.

In January 2011, the Telegraph reported that the Sports Foundation spent only £33,929 (US$53,000) on charitable activities in the first in its first financial period, compared with £37,621 (US$58,700) spent on four staff members.

Over the weekend, the Telegraph once again published a scathing report disclosing the practices of another of Blair’s charities. In the article titled “Tony Blair’s charity staff discover gold in Africa,” the Telegraph reveals that the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative increased the amount of money it spent on staff by an astonishing 650 percent last year.

The charity which does work in some of the world’s poorest countries, including Sierra Leone, Liberia and Rwanda, paid its 22 employees more than £1.6 million (US$2.5 million) in 2010, out of its £3.2 million (US$5 million) income.

[quote] “As the report makes clear, AGI’s greatest asset is its staff, and it is through their skills and experience that the charity has impact. It is self evident for a charity doing the sort of work we do, the majority of our costs will be on salaries and the accommodation, transport and security costs associated with having people living in some of the world’s most fragile states,” said a spokesperson with AGI. [/quote]

In response, Newstime Africa released a report “Britain’s Telegraph newspaper should shut up – Tony Blair is doing a fantastic job in Africa!” and accusing the Telegraph of “the relentless attacks that have become like a cult thing where it has to be done come what may,” and that “there must be better things to write about – especially considering the current phone hackingscandal that has engulfed the British media.”