Cherie Blair

Cherie Blair has not had a very relaxing Christmas break after her holiday in America became the subject of bitter criticism after it was discovered that the Blairs are staying in the home of a BeeGee's band member, possibly for free. Previous financial arrangements for the Blairs' holidays have been dubious at best and the 2006 winter holiday is no different.

As a lawyer, Cherie specialises in the following areas: public law; human rights; media and information law; employment law and European Community law.

Cherie has gained respect from former American President, Bill Clinton, who has urged Cherie to enter Parliament, offering to campaign on her behalf.

Cherie is distantly related to the actor, John Wilkes Booth, killer of the American President, Abraham Lincoln.

It is often said that the only reason Cherie's husband, Tony Blair, joined the Labour party was because of Cherie's own left-wing politics.

It is a well-known fact that Cherie, and husband, Tony Blair, struck a private arrangement in which one spouse would enter Parliament to gain fame and influence whilst the other would gain the family riches through continuing law.

Cherie's finances caused public disaproval at the 2005 General Election - it was revealed that a vast sum of £7,700, was spent on a private hair stylist, £275 a day. Despite the unreasonable amount of money, various critics pointed out that Cherie's hair did not even look that good anyway.

Cherie was heavily criticised after it emerged that for her speech at a charity fund-raiser, Cherie was paid over £100,000 whilst only £6,690 of a total £81,270 raised went towards cancer research.

A scandal arose in 2002, when it turned out that Cherie had bought a flat for her son, with help from a convicted fraudster, Peter Foster. Cherie lied about Foster's involvement, but this was proved and she was forced to apologise publicly and tearfully.

Cherie is a governor at her old university, the London School of Economics, and at the Open University.

Cherie fought for, but failed, to gain a seat at Westminster in the 1983 UK General Election.

Cherie and Tony Blair have four children, Euan, Nicky, Kathryn and Leo.

Cherie graduated from the London School of Economics with a first-class Law degree.

Cherie has never shied away from controversial cases, or, indeed, from opposing her husband's own laws. For instance, she recently represented a Muslim girl who wanted the right to wear full Islamic dress at her secondary school.

Cherie is a succesful lawyer, practising law under her maiden name, Cherie Booth QC.

Cherie Blair is married to England's Prime Minister, Tony Blair.