TONY Blair, who stood down as UK prime minister last June, has taken a part-time post with US investment bank JP Morgan Chase which has offices in Bournemouth.

He has been employed "in a senior advisory capacity," the bank said.

Mr Blair has said that he looked forward to advising the bank on the "political and economic changes that globalisation brings."

It is estimated that he will receive in excess of £500,000 a year for his new part time role.

The bank said he had a "unique perspective".

Mr Blair is set to advise the firm's chief executive and senior management team, "drawing on his immense international experience to provide the firm with strategic advice and insight on global political issues and emerging trends".

Since leaving Number 10, Mr Blair has been an unpaid envoy for the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators.

Mr Blair has said that he planned to take up "a small handful" of similar roles with other companies in different sectors which if paying similar amounts will easily make Mr Blair a millionaire.

JP Morgan, one of Wall Street's leading banks, is part of JP Morgan Chase & Co, a global financial services firm with assets of $1.5 trillion (£760bn) and operations in more than 50 countries.