Cherie Blair faces MPs
Cherie Blair is set to be grilled by an influential committee of MPs today.
The former prime minister’s wife has been selected to appear in front of the homes affairs committee because of her role in Channel 4’s Disarming Britain campaign, in which she toured the country finding out about the problem.
“As a mother, I’m deeply concerned that guns and knives are becoming a part of everyday life for some young people in Britain,” she said recently.
“As a barrister and part-time judge, I have to sentence offenders who have committed crimes with such weapons and have seen the misery they cause.”
She also expressed hope her conclusions would be “heard by those in a position of power who can make a difference”.
The human rights barrister has been out of the news since she released her autobiography to a chorus of criticism and ugly headlines earlier in the year.
Her talk of “contraceptive equipment” and honest analysis of Gordon Brown caused anger and embarrassment in the government and the media, but Ms Blair argued the negative reaction had more to do with her unconventional approach to being the prime minister’s wife.
It was just the latest controversy to involve her. The most serious row was provoked by her friendship to Carole Caplin, whose relationship to Australian con-man Peter Foster led many commentators to question his role in the discounted purchase by the Blairs of two flats in Bristol.
Tony McNulty, Home Office minister, is also appearing at the session.
