GQ agony uncle Rod Liddle breaks ranks to call ‘philanthropist of the year’ Tony Blair a very rude word in The Sun

Axegrinder has until now chosen to keep his oar out of the row over GQ – the trendy men's monthly – naming former PM Tony Blair philanthropist of the year at its Men of the Year awards this week.

And so, it seems, have most of GQ's many columnists – including Blair's former spin doctor, Alastair Campbell, the magazine's chief interrogator.

But the outspoken Rod Liddle – who acts as an agony uncle reminiscent of Dorian Gray's mentor, Lord Henry Wotton, in the monthly – has now given his view.

Writing in The Sun today, he says: “Huge congratulations to Tony Blair for winning GQ magazine’s Philanthropist of the Year award.

“It is about time his brilliance was recognised. Not only has he destabilised the Middle East, he’s also pocketed vast amounts from Asian dictators who he advises on how to clean up their image.

“I assume ‘philanthropist’ is a politer way of saying ‘see you next Tuesday’."