healthful
.
“The prime minister’s words reflect his personal opinion and, perhaps, his true beliefs, but we were not expecting such statements from the prime minister.
On the contrary
, we were hoping to forge an alliance and a partnership in forming the next government. However, such remarks will put distance between our party lists and
inflame
the political scene.”
The former prime minister of Britain, Tony Blair, is to donate the profits from his
forthcoming
memoirs to a charity that helps British injured soldiers. With the details, here’s our reporter, Rajini Vaidyanathan.
Tony Blair’s autobiography is called A Journey. It’ll certainly be a money-making one. The book’s publishers, Random House, paid an estimated $7.5 million as an
advance
for it. But that, plus all the profits, are to be donated to the Royal British Legion which provides rehabilitation for injured soldiers. The spokesman for the former prime minister said this was Mr Blair’s way of recognizing the courage the armed forces demonstrate,
day in, day out
. But the families of some of those who lost their lives in Iraq have criticised the donation. The father of one soldier who died in a conflict described it as "blood money."
Rajini Vaidyanathan reporting.
World News from the BBC.
The American Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said the United States would