article_snippet: Mr Blair has been the envoy for the four peace negotiators since shortly after Mr Blair stepped down as Prime Minister in 2007.
article_snippet: Mr Blair is not paid for his role in the Iraq War.
article_snippet: A Downing Street spokesman would say only that the former PM had been 'important work as the quartet's representative.'
article_snippet: Mr Blair told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: '
article_snippet: Mr Blair was appointed I think it was the day Mr Blair ceased to be British Prime Minister and it struck me at the time as a very strange appointment in many ways.
article_snippet: I'm surprised Mr Blair accepted it frankly.'
article_snippet: Asked if Mr Blair was saying Mr Blair should play no role in the region, Mr Blair said: 'Yes I am.
article_snippet: I find it hard to believe, frankly, that the British Government would support Mr Blair having a wider role. '
article_snippet: I find it even harder to believe that the Russians, who are also members of the Quartet, would support Mr Blair having a wider role. '
article_snippet: I'm afraid if the Russians, who are also members of the Quartet, would support him having a wider role
article_snippet: Mr Blair has been the envoy for the UN, the EU, Russia and the US since shortly after Mr Blair stepped down as Prime Minister in 2007 .
article_snippet: Mr Blair is thought to have met John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, recently to discuss a possible job change.
article_snippet: It follows months of concerns about potential conflicts of interest between Mr Blair role in peace negotiations in the Middle East and Mr Blair business pursuits.
article_snippet: There is also mounting unease in the US and EU over Mr Blair poor relations with senior Palestinian Authority figures.
article_snippet: Mr Blair does not disclose Mr Blair clients, but his clients have included countries such as Peru, Colombia, Kuwait, Vietnam and Kazakhstan.
article_snippet: Mr Blair corporate roster has featured PetroSaudi, an oil company with links to the Saudi royal family, finance firm JP Morgan and Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi wealth fund.
article_snippet: Mr Blair has been a valued partner in trying to bring peace to the Middle East and A senior source in the US administration will continue to value Mr Blair input and support.'
article_snippet: Last year, a group of former British ambassadors joined a campaign calling for the ex-Prime Minister to be removed from the ex-Prime Minister role as the Middle East envoy, raising objections to the possible clash with the ex-Prime Minister business interests and attempts to 'absolve the ex-Prime Minister' of responsibility for the Iraq crisis.
article_snippet: Mr Blair has been doing an important role as the quartet representative since the second half of 2007.
article_snippet: In terms of Mr Blair own approach to how Mr Blair thinks Mr Blair may be best able to make a contribution, that is principally a matter for Mr Blair. '
article_snippet: the ex-Prime Minister thinks the ex-Prime Minister has been doing important work as the quartet representative.'