Socialism is supposed to be about the fair distribution of property and wealth. Cherie Blair’s attitude, however, seems to follow the capitalist system. In 2003, Cherie was invited to a Melbourne shopping centre and told to take a few items for free. She took 68 items.
In 2005, while her husband was visiting President of the United States George Bush officially, she gave a private speech in Washington's Kennedy Centre where she was paid £30,000 for her appearance.
Again in 2005,Cherie embarked on a charity speaking tour of Australia and recieved a £102,000 fee for after-dinner speaking. One £82-a-head dinner raised £81,270 of which (according to Consumer Affairs Victoria) only £6,690 of the total funds raised went towards cancer research.
In 2006, the Labour Party paid a £7,700 bill for her personal hair stylist, Andre Suard, during the 2005 General Election campaign. This amounts to £275 per day for the month leading up to the election, more than some prospective MPs spent on their campaigns.
And, as if to demonstrate exactly what Cherie thinks of her status, in 2006 she was granted an audience with the pope. Although Vatican convention dictates that women meeting the Pope should wear black, Blair chose to exercise the "white privilege," something which is only granted to the wives of Catholic monarchs.
Links:
"Cherie under attack: from fur in flight to freebies" at http://politics.guardian.co.uk/cherie/story/0,12713,1409010,00.html
Labour MPs accuse Cherie Blair of 'cashing in' at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/06/05/ncheri05.xml
Charity in Trouble Over Blair Tour at http://politics.guardian.co.uk/cherie/story/0,,1600795,00.html
Labour defends Cherie's hair bill at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4929026.stm
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