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Sanchia BergReporting
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie reportedly received substantial discounts on designer clothing during their time at Downing Street, according to newly released documents. Between July 2001 and December 2002, Mrs. Blair purchased over £75,000 worth of clothes but paid only £31,000 for them. This revelation came as officials at Downing Street expressed concerns about how these benefits would need to be declared under a new ministerial code.
Nicole Farhi was one of the fashion designers from whom Mrs. Blair bought clothes, with her total bill amounting to nearly £21,000, of which she paid just over £8,000. Other notable designers who provided substantial discounts included Burberry, James Lakeland, Ungaro, Joseph, and Maria Grachvogel. The discounts were reportedly negotiated by Carole Caplin, Mrs. Blair’s personal trainer and shopper. Sir Tony Blair himself also benefited from a 25% discount from Paul Smith, known for his suits.
In response to the concerns raised by Downing Street officials regarding public perception, suggestions were made that the Blairs should repay part of the discounts received. The documents detail the efforts made to address the optics of the situation, with recommendations to depict Mrs. Blair’s purchases as being on commercial terms. The intention was to demonstrate that Mrs. Blair’s clothing choices were on par with those of other high-profile individuals with personal shoppers.
In addition to the discounted clothing, Prime Minister Blair received lavish gifts from various famous figures and world leaders during his time in office. Notable gifts included a guitar from U2’s Bono and Bryan Adams, as well as multiple designer watches from then-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The issue of discounted clothes draws parallels to criticism faced by current Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, who accepted gifts and clothes worth significant amounts from a Labour peer
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