Tony Blair is preparing a new push to re-enter British politics as he hires a new spin doctor to put a gloss on some of the criticism that has followed him since leaving Number 10.
The former prime minister ‘has things to say’ and believes the time is right for him to make an impact on the home front after years in political exile.
Mr Blair's is expected to launch his comeback as he appears on a joint platform with Labour leader Ed Miliband in July at an event to celebrate the Olympics.
His wife Cherie is also due to attend, making it a rare public outing for the Blairs together.
The ex-PM is understood to believe that enough time has passed for people to have forgotten the disastrous effect of the Iraq war on his image and how he was humiliatingly forced from office by Gordon Brown.
The move to hire a public relations expert is proof that Mr Blair wants to be heard on a range of subjects.
The spin doctor will also attempt to portray Mr Blair's cash schemes - such as charging up to £300,000 for after-dinner speeches - in a more positive light.
In the latest accusation of greed, it was revealed in January that Mr Blair made millions of pounds last year but paid just a fraction of it in tax thanks to a complicated web of companies he has established.
The former prime minister’s secretive business empire declared an income of £12million.
But he was able to reduce his tax bill to just £315,000 after writing off almost £11million as ‘administrative expenses’ – a ‘surprisingly’ high figure, according to one accountant.
The figures show that Mr Blair employed 26 staff, paying them total wages of almost £2.3million, while another £850,000 went on office rent and equipment.
Yet that leaves almost £8million of unexplained ‘expenses’ in the accounts, lodged at Companies House.
Mr Blair has now recruited Rachel Grant, an ex-Downing Street and Whitehall press officer who is now communications director at charity the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta).
The former PM is still employed as a Middle East peace envoy, as well as running a faith foundation and earning millions of pounds in consultancy fees through a complicated web of companies.
But for several months he has been privately meeting small groups of Labour MPs to discuss domestic politics.
Mr Blair has targeted old allies and members of the 2010 intake, advising on how to target the Tories and the Liberal Democrats, who he believes made a historic error by joining the Coalition.
Mr Miliband’s aides say the pair now talk ‘regularly’ – code for chats every few weeks – about domestic politics and foreign affairs.
Mr Blair’s aides think the time is right for him to speak out in the UK. They believe enough time has passed since he was driven from office in 2007 on a wave of disgust at the Iraq War.
A source close to Mr Blair said: ‘He wants to re-engage in the UK.
He has things to say and he thinks it’s the right time.
‘The question is how he re-enters the UK scene without re-entering domestic politics and interfering with the Labour Party.
'He wants to intervene where he can add value to political debate, but it will be above party politics.’
Mr Miliband opposed the war in Iraq but respects Mr Blair as one of the most accomplished political message-makers of his time.
Rachel Grant will take up her role later this month, overseeing the former prime minister’s personal public relations and taking charge of the communications strategy for his extensive business operations.
Her appointment has been seen in the PR industry as an attempt to rebuild Mr Blair’s reputation at home, following adverse publicity over his money-spinning ventures.
He has attracted criticism for combining his business interests with charitable work and his Middle East role and is thought to have amassed a fortune in excess of £20million in the five years since he left Downing Street and stepped down as MP for Sedgefield, County Durham, which he had served since 1983.
Mr Blair has also amassed a property portfolio, including homes in London and country retreats, that at one point was worth £15m.
He has also been criticised for earning cast sums for his after-dinner speeches. He charges up to £250,000 a time for just 90 minutes.
Miss Grant previously worked in No 10 as a senior press officer, going on to be head of news at the Department for Work and Pensions and then the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Former Tory Cabinet minister Lord Tebbit attacked the former PM, branding his political legacy ‘debt, war, ignorance, welfare dependency, social division’.
He said: ‘Blairite education policies have brought about an upsurge in illiteracy and innumeracy, and left a generation of near-unemployable young people.’
Blair's apparent political comeback will mean less attention for his charitable ventures. Upon leaving office he set up the Tony Blair Faith Foundation then the Sports Foundation.
The charities have been so successful that last month it was reported that they were moving out into bigger offices.
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