The complex and corporate rise of the Tony Blair Institute

Revenues at Tony Blair’s thinktank rose to $81m in 2021 and Keir Starmer has turned to it as an unofficial source of advice. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

As prime minister, Tony Blair oversaw a few hundred Downing Street staff and one country. Sixteen years later, he is now responsible for more than 800 staff who help advance his policies in nearly 40 countries.

Since leaving No 10, the former prime minister has arguably become more powerful thanks to the work of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), which has exploded in size and revenue during the last few years. Its accounts show it made over $81m (£65m) in revenue in 2021, a 78% increase on the previous year.