[Martyn*]

This is not a rich-bashing thread, but just pointing out the sheer disconnection of some politicians with the real world.

To qualify being rich, and I'm not talking about how much knowledge, friendship or love one has or owns, you'd have to have an attractive bank balance or own lots of property (which equals lots of money).

Tony Blair might as well call himself Pope or bishop Blair, because he has all that wealth (money and property) whilst he preaches to the uninitiated that he is not wealthy. He should have been elected to the papacy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...six-homes.html

[A Mysterious Lord]

I don't mind people who have become rich through hard work, they deserve it, but Blair has become rich by being a ****

[multiplexing-gamer]

Why're you telling us this?

[AspiringGenius]

To Mr Blair:

I see you trollin'

I hatin'

[Manitude]

For someone who got paid £250k for 90 minutes work that seems a tad ridiculous.

Also, this might interest people:
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/a...ony-Blair.html


In comparison I have a debt which is about 4 times the size as my total savings, and I'm considered to be fairly well off compared to other university students (more because I don't spend as much as I could rather than receiving a lot of money)

[Norbertnorbert]

Well he is super-rich, but not a mega-rich billionaire. I suppose it shows that how rich you feel is relative. Compared to the sort of people he probably mixes with and is friends/neighbours with he probably feels reasonably well off but not 'super-rich'.

[Agenda Suicide]

He is really rich but to be fair doesn't he gives loads of it away anyway? I know he is still loaded and he got a lot of it through very shady means but I also always hear of him at philanthropy conventions...

[DotComBoom]

I wonder if he actually believes his own delusions?

[patrickinator]

Tony Blair is a war criminal and tax dodger not to mention a corrupt crony. Just look at what he has been doing in the Middle East on BBC Panorama. He became addicted to power and truly destroyed many things that were good about this country.

I think he underestimates how much he is disliked by the British people.

[The Count Olaf]

It is fascinating how a man becomes so rich within the confines of the law. I prefer to operate outside said boundaries.

[. . .]

Tony Blair is a liar? Shock horror?!?!

[the bear]

Spiderman says " i can't stand heights "

[PoGo HoPz]

I've literally heard it all, now.

[CurlyBen]

This is the same Tony Blair who tells us he's paying full income tax when his company paid 2.6% tax on £12 million of earnings last year. It's also the same Tony Blair who said "We must tackle abuse of the tax system. For those who can employ the right accountants, the tax system is a haven of scams, perks, City deals and profits. We should reward people who work hard and do well. We should not make our tax rules a playground for revenue avoiders and tax abusers who pay little or nothing while others pay more than their share."

I have wondered why Jimmy Carr is the subject of so much vitriol for his tax affairs, when a former Labour party leader and avowed socialist gets away with a similar scheme.

[javmafia]

WAR HU YEAH WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR: don't mention Dr David Kelly sssshhhh!

Middle east peace envoy that like obama getting the noble peace prize....oh he did!

Blair, the £20million man: Former PM earned huge sum in just a year

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1zSRnJqz2

[thunder_chunky]

I think most people already knew he is deluded and has his head up his backside. Or someone else's backside.

[Annoying-Mouse]

He is correct, stop taking statements out of context. “This notion that I want to be a billionaire with a yacht; I don’t. I am never going to be part of the super-rich. I have no interest in that at all.”

[CWE]

He doesn't say he's not rich, he says that he is not part of the super rich. This seems to me to be a valid statement. Its important to look at what his words mean in context. He is never going to be part of the top 1% or so of the wealthy that's populated by Russian oligarchs, multinational business owners and top dogs in finance. He never denies being rich but with 20 million pounds (although obviously he lives extremely comfortably) he is not afforded the freedom that those of the 'super rich' have. He can't do certain things that are only available to the wealthy in the league above him such as buy sports cars or islands and still not have a dent in their wallet. Blair will still have to manage his money, which is not something a billionaire who buys businesses-and-jets at a whim will be concerned with. Anything taken out of context can be twisted to another meaning.

Post above beat me to it.

[ForKicks]

Assuming the papers sensationalist estimate is correct, Blair will be taking home just over £10 million a year. It seems he is tying a lot of his money up in property too. He is right in saying he won't be a billionaire.

[ForKicks]

(Original post by CWE)
He doesn't say he's not rich, he says that he is not part of the super rich. This seems to me to be a valid statement. Its important to look at what his words mean in context. He is never going to be part of the top 1% or so of the wealthy that's populated by Russian oligarchs, multinational business owners and top dogs in finance. He never denies being rich but with 20 million pounds (although obviously he lives extremely comfortably) he is not afforded the freedom that those of the 'super rich' have. He can't do certain things that are only available to the wealthy in the league above him such as buy sports cars or islands and still not have a dent in their wallet. Blair will still have to manage his money, which is not something a billionaire who buys businesses-and-jets at a whim will be concerned with. Anything taken out of context can be twisted to another meaning.

Post above beat me to it.

I agree, although maybe top 0.001%