'Homeless' Blairs will stay at Chequers after he leaves office

Removal vans were in Downing Street yesterday as Tony Blair became embroiled in another "freebie" row over his rent-free use of Chequers after he quits office next week. The Blairs are already preparing for their departure from Downing Street after 10 years; Mr Blair will hand his seals of office to the Queen on Wednesday after his last session of Prime Minister's Questions.

But it emerged yesterday that Gordon Brown, who will take over as Prime Minister, has given the Blairs the use of the prime minister'smansion in Buckinghamshire until the Blairs' £3.6m London home at Connaught Square is ready. The 1,000-acre estate costs £1,738 a day to run.

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As preparations for next week's move took place, the removal men started putting boxes in a van outside No 11. Although this is the Chancellor's official address, the Blairs have lived in the flat above No 11 for the past 10 years because the flat over No 10 was judged too small.

The Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said: "If he is going to stay there he should pay the market rent." The Tory MP Grant Shapps, a vice-chairman of the party, said: "Tony Blair will effectively be living in a huge country estate at the taxpayers' expense."

Downing Street suggested Mr Blair was being allowed to stay on at Chequers at the end of the week to say farewell to the staff. But it is believed that the Blairs will stay there until the finishing touches to their Connaught Square house are complete. They have been forced to buy an adjoining mews house for protection officers, who warned that the property needed more security against terrorist attack.

The Blairs have been criticised for taking "freebie" holidays in Italy, Egypt and Barbados.