Cherie tour off as ticket sales flop

Cherie Blair's lecture tour of India has been scrapped.

The Prime Minister's wife had been due to speak alongside former US President Bill Clinton in Delhi, Bangalore and Bombay in a fortnight's time. Marketing for the speeches had claimed it was a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' for senior executives to hear 'political visionaries', and tickets were priced at up to £1,300.

But none of the venues - one of which holds up to 5,000 people - came close to selling out.

The tour organiser, disgraced former stockbroker Salim Khoja, who runs The Power Within, a self-help motivational training company, had apparently agreed to pay around £400,000 for the speakers due to take part at the events.

Downing Street, however, refused to comment on whether Mrs Blair was being paid.

Toronto-based Mr Khoja, who was jailed in 1992 after being caught diverting his clients' funds into his own account, was unavailable for comment but callers to his office were told that the tour was being rearranged for next year. Those who had bought tickets were promised refunds.

One staff member attempted to lay the blame on Mr Clinton, saying that the former President had a 'clash of dates'.

However, staff at The Power Within's Bombay office claimed that they had sold just 800 tickets for the three events - while a company working with it in Bangalore insisted that the figure was closer to 400.