Tony Blair has added Kazakhstan to his roster of oil-rich clients, advising the authoritarian Central Asian regime on economic reforms and how to present a better face to the west.
The former Labour prime minister is working with other prominent New Labour figures, includingAlastair Campbell, his former spin doctor, and Jonathan Powell, one-time chief of staff, says one person with knowledge of the arrangement.
Portland, the communications group set up by Tim Allan, formerly a Downing Street spokesman, is also advising Kazakhstan, alongside other high-profile clients from Russia.
An official in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, said a deal existed between the governmentand Mr Blair, but did not confirm how much he was being paid.
“His advice is priceless,” the official said. “Kazakhstan will get the best advice possible fromhim on issues connected with policy and the economy. . . We could nothave a better adviser.”
One person familiar with the set-up said the deal could be worth as much as $13m a year. This figure was denied by Mr Blair’s aides.
Mr Blair’s office confirmed he was one of several former heads of government from Europeadvising the regime of Nursultan Nazarbayev, who served in the Soviet politburo and has been in power since the collapse of communism in 1991.
But it declined to explain the nature of the arrangement.
“Tony Blair has helped put together a team of international advisers and consultants to set up an advisory group for theKazakhs, with a team of people working on the ground. The work they are doing is excellent, sensible and supports thereforms they are making.The Kazakhs also engage with a number of other former European leaders.
“Tony Blair last visited Kazakhstan in May of thisyear to attend a conference. Tony Blair is not personally making a profit directly or indirectly through Tony Blair Associates or any other company on this.”
Mr Powell declined to comment. Mr Campbell could not be reached for comment on Friday after multiple attempts to reach him by phone, email and text.
Kazakhstan has been keen to extend trade links with the UK, which is the third-biggest investor in the country after the Netherlands and the US.

Mr Blair, who runs a business called Tony BlairAssociates, has a lucrativeportfolio of advisory roles. Clients include JPMorgan Chase, the US bank, and Zurich Financial Services, the Swiss insurance group. He has advised the government of Kuwait, UIEnergy Corporation, a South Korean oil firm, and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi investment fund.