Blair criticised for offering 'blood money' to soldiers

London: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was on Monday night accused of offering "blood money" to former servicemen by diverting revenue from his memoirs to help injured soldiers.

Relatives of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan said Blair was trying to "ease his conscience" by giving the £4.6 million (Dh26 million) advance and any profits from his book to the Royal British Legion.

The money from the £25 book, A Journey, will go towards a sports centre for wounded soldiers, sailors and airmen to "honour their sacrifice", said Blair.

Grieving families accepted that the seven-figure gift was "generous", but they dismissed it as a "PR stunt" intended only to assuage his guilt over the blood spilled on the battlefield.

More than 500 British troops were killed in wars launched by Blair during his time as prime minister, including 179 in Iraq and 331 in Afghanistan. Hundreds more have been wounded or suffered psychological scars.

Fortune

Blair, who has amassed a personal fortune put as high as £60million since leaving Downing Street in 2007, has faced repeated accusations that he failed to properly fund the conflicts, leaving troops on the frontline overstretched and using poor equipment.

The money from the book, which will be published next month, will be the biggest personal donation ever received by the Legion. It will use it to build the Armed Forces charity's £12 million Battle Back Challenge Centre which will offer sport and outdoor pursuits to rehabilitate injured military personnel when it opens in summer 2012.

Most injured personnel who return to active duty will go through the centre, which will provide accommodation and a state-of-the-art gym, as part of their recovery. In total the Legion has a fundraising target of £25 million to help injured troops.