Tony Blair's final lap of world capitals before his retirement cost the taxpayer more than £700,000.

New figures show that nine trips during his last three months as Prime Minister ran up a total bill of £724,686. That compares with the £950,000 cost of Gordon Brown's trips during his first ten months as Prime Minister.

Mr Blair's farewell tour, dubbed the “long goodbye” by opponents, included five trips on European Union business, and jaunts to Tripoli to meet Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, Germany for the G8 summit, the Vatican to see the Pope, and to Washington.

The US trip, for which Mr Blair was accompanied by 18 officials, cost £319,000; the visit to Tripoli £314,000.

Mr Brown's individual trips have cost less and, unlike his predecessor, he has used the Eurostar to go to Brussels.

However, his recent travel bills have increased sharply, with flights to Jedda in Saudi Arabia, Japan and the Middle East. Next month he visits China for the Olympics.

Mr Brown has also taken a more puritanical approach on gifts from fellow leaders, including a brown leather bomber jacket presented to him by President Bush last summer.

Mr Blair used Whitehall rules to buy presents received on his farewell odyssey, but Mr Brown handed his over to the Cabinet Office or gave them to charity.

Four Christmas hampers from Middle East countries went to charity and wine from President Sarkozy of France ended up in the government hospitality cellar for official entertaining.

Such gifts are officially the property of the State and ministers have to pay a token sum to keep them.

Departments keep them for a time and can dispose of them unless they have important historical value.

Prime ministers may, at the end of their terms, decide to buy gifts of sentimental value that have not been disposed of.

Other presents that Mr Brown chose not to buy included a model of a fishing boat from the President of the Maldives, a commemorative coin from the President of Ethiopia, a stone bowl from President Karzai of Afghanistan, a clock and jewellery from King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and a rug from President Musharraf of Pakistan.

All were retained by the Government. The Government also kept a handbag presented to Mr Brown's wife, Sarah, by Ken Sitomer, a US businessman.

It also emerged yesterday that the overall pay bill for special advisers is down, although the number of advisers in Downing Street has risen from 18 to 24.

Mr Brown's changes to his inner circle have cost the taxpayer dearly. He has recruited four special advisers since November whose pay is in the top bracket of £105,000 to £140,000.

Mr Brown has entertained fewer celebrities at Chequers than Mr Blair, but has opened his door to wealthy business figures, including Sir Alan Sugar, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and James Dyson. The film directors Lord Attenborough and Richard Curtis, the playwright Sir Tom Stoppard and the Beatles producer Sir George Martin also took up invitations.

The Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb said: “This list is in marked contrast to what we were told about Gordon Brown being a more frugal premier, with the use of Chequers being scaled down. The glitz and glamour may have gone, but Chequers is still being heavily used, this time for the Prime Minister to entertain some of the richest people in the country.”

Francis Maude, the Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, said: “Gordon Brown pledged to end the era of spin. Instead he's rushed to use more taxpayers' cash to hire a growing number of spin-doctors in a vain attempt to stop his popularity from plummeting further.”

PRESENT AND CORRECT

Gifts received between April 2007 and March 2008

Tony Blair (purchased all)

Picture from President Bush (bought for £500)

Pewter tea set from the Government of Libya (£400)

Silver tray from members of the restoration project of Tripoli's old town (£350)

Porcelain figure from the Government of Germany (£250)

Gordon Brown (did not keep any)

Leather bomber jacket and holdall from President Bush

Clock/jewellery from the King of Saudi Arabia

Hamper from Sir Gulam Noon

Whisky from 19 Entertainment (the creators of Pop Idol)

Two cases of wine from President Sarkozy of France

Stone bowl from President Karzai of Afghanistan

Rug from President Musharraf of Pakistan

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Tree stump 'shows image of Virgin Mary'
• BBC drops Strictly judge for younger model
• Trafalgar Square 'reduced to a spectacle'