Tony Blair is one of the biggest winners from tax reforms his government introduced more than a decade ago.

According to the announcement, Tony Blair will donate the proceeds from his £4.6million autobiography to the Royal British Legion. The former prime minister will hand over the advance for his memoirs “A Journey”.

The move provoked immediate accusations he was trying to ease his 'guilty conscience' over committing troops to an 'illegal' war in Iraq.  

A spokesman for the Stop the War Coalition said that No proportion of Tony Blair's massive and ill-gotten fortune can buy him innocence or forgiveness because he took the country to war on a series of lies against the best legal advice and in defiance of majority opinion.

Mr. Blair's spokesman said the former leader had decided in 2007 that he would donate the proceeds of his memoirs to charity for the Armed Forces. It was a way of marking the enormous sacrifice they make for the security of the people and the world and also a way to honor their courage and sacrifice.

The Royal British Legion expects that that most troops who are able to recover and return to active duty will go through the Centre as part of their rehabilitation. It is a MoD project which is being funded by the Legion, which needs to raise £12million to hit its fundraising target and £25million in total.

Chris Simpkins, director general of the Royal British Legion, said that Mr. Blair's generosity is much appreciated and marks a lasting difference to the lives of hundreds of injured personnel.

But Lindsey German, convener of the Stop the War Coalition said that it shows Blair’s guilty conscience as he is worried about the adverse publicity. 

Blair will launch his memoirs in London next month, signing copies at a Waterstones' flagship store. The hardback version of his book is being sold for £25.