to think that Tony Blair should fund his own overseas security?

[MollieO]

Article here states that it costs taxpayers £6 million per year to provide his security, more than Gordon Brown. The amount is so high because of the extensive foreign travel TB undertakes (and is very well remunerated for).

I have no objection to paying for protection for former prime minsters but the fact that we are funding his foreign junkets seems wrong to me.

The other thing I don't understand is why TB merits double the security detail of the serving PM.

I think it would be a worthwhile exercise to work out what his security detail costs for what are viewed as the usual ex PM stuff and what the difference is between that and what TB costs. The estimated cost was £2m so the fact that the actual cost is £6m makes me think that the £4m is to cover his highly paid jaunts around the world. The original £2m takes into account the security needed because TB is TB and the decisions he made whilst in government. I think I'd rather TB paid the £4m out of his earnings and the government and Met police spent that money on more needy causes.