You’ll have to spend more on clothes in No 10, Blairs were warned
(Is it any wonder why?)
Cherie Blair once moaned that she had to fork out for a designer wardrobe to avoid being called ‘frumpy’.
and yesterday it emerged that Downing street officials had warned her to ‘spend a lot more on clothes’.
a confidential government memo from May 2, 1997, the day Tony Blair became Prime Minister, reveals the frank and personal advice handed to the couple as they entered No 10.
amid the euphoria at labour’s landslide victory, Mr Blair was informed by a tactful civil servant: ‘you will find there are a variety of costs ... you will incur simply by virtue of being Prime Minister. you may spend a lot more on clothes than if you were a private citizen (as may Mrs Blair).’
Mrs Blair later complained to friends of the deep hole being burnt in the family budget to buy her designer outfits to avoid being ‘slagged off in the media for looking frumpy’.
The 1997 memo, penned for the incoming Prime Minister by principal private secretary sir alex allan and released yesterday following a Freedom of information act request by the BBC, also set out details of Mr Blair’s pay and pension.
ironically, considering Mr Blair became the most wealth-obsessed former PM in Britain’s history, he was advised that pay will ‘not be top of your agenda’, with the civil servant adding: ‘i am sure that [your pension] is even less on your mind than your salary!’
little did he know then that, after leaving Downing street ten years later, Mr Blair would go on to earn between £60million and £100million.
But when he was in power, Cherie Blair became increasingly frustrated at the costs of staying chic. The £250,000-ayear QC used to splash out up to £3,000 to bring along her French personal hairdresser, andre suard, from Mayfair stylists Michaeljohn, on official foreign visits.
Despite the Blairs each earning more than £100,000 a year, and taking a series of freebie luxury holidays, they privately complained because rules forced them to pay for many Downing street functions from their own pocket.
among the memos released yesterday, Mr Blair was informed he was entitled to a ‘ fullystocked drinks cabinet maintained by the house manager anywhere in Number 10’.
However he would have to pay for drinks in his Downing street flat himself. The Blairs would also be billed ‘if Mrs Blair uses a No 10 car for private purposes’. They were also warned they would have to pay for any damage to fixtures and fittings not covered by ‘fair wear and tear’.
on the plus side, Mr Blair was told he could avoid tax for buying things like ‘clothes, spouse’s clothes, gratuities and gifts’ for staff under a special dispensation negotiated with the inland Revenue.
They were also told they would only have to pay 50 per cent council tax on their house in islington if they were resident in 10 Downing street.
The advice given to the Blairs was obtained after a two-year battle between BBC london and the Cabinet office which fought to keep it secret.
it includes hundreds of pages of guidance from civil servants on how to navigate through a labyrinth of protocol and policy.