British diplomats working with Tony Blair in his role as a Middle East peace envoy may have been drawn into helping the former prime minister to pursue business interests, leaked emails suggest.
The documents reportedly show that Mr Blair received millions of pounds from the United Arab Emirates in consultancy fees at the same time as the Gulf state was also financially supporting his work for the Quartet — the United Nations, the EU, the US and Russia — in trying to end the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The disclosures have left Mr Blair facing questions because of a potential conflict of interest in simultaneously pursuing diplomatic and commercial roles in the region.
The UAE was one of a number of states financing Mr Blair’s role as