Give Mrs Blaire an Oscar !

Simon

What a performance ... especially the bit where she 'choked the tears back' talking about her son. Remember what her father was? An ACTOR.

I'm sorry ... but the whole thing STINKS. Especially when the main person involved has mysteriously had his deportation order brought forward by weeks/months. But downing street says it's a coincidence and they didn't influence things

Tony Blaire has chosen to use his family as a political 'asset' and now he should accept it when they are a political liability.

Edited by - Simon on 10 December 2002 17:7:17

December 10, 2002

Downing Street turmoil over Cherie conman phone call
By Philip Webster, Political Editor and Dominic Kennedy, Crime Writer
DOWNING Street was thrown into disarray last night after Cherie Blair admitted telephoning solicitors in the deportation case against the convicted fraudster Peter Foster.
Officials were dismayed and stunned as Mrs Blair was forced to confirm that she had called the lawyers to reassure Carole Caplin, Mr Fosters girlfriend and her own close confidante, that the proceedings were being properly handled.
The disclosure that the Prime Ministers wife had involved herself in the case against the man who, only days earlier, was helping her to negotiate the purchase of two flats in Bristol was the most damaging yet to hit Mrs Blair, the Downing Street machine and the Prime Minister.
A statement from Mr Fosters solicitors was the first No 10s media team knew of the call, and left them wondering where the next thunderbolt would come from. It also raised fresh accusations that No 10 has not told the whole truth. Mr Blairs spokesman said last Thursday that Mrs Blair had not assisted Mr Fosters legal battle against deportation, but he gave no information about the telephone call.
Last night in a Downing Street statement, Mrs Blair insisted that she had not interfered in the immigration case and had made the call as a friend of Carole Caplin to reassure Ms Caplin that the solicitors were handling the case in the normal way.
The Prime Minister, drawn to comment on the affair for the first time last night, told Iain Duncan Smith in a letter that there had been no political interference in the case against Mr Foster.
In an interview with the Financial Times, given before yesterdays disclosures, Mr Blair tried to dismiss the episode as a media frenzy and suggested that it would be forgotten without lasting damage. This is just part of what comes with the territory nowadays, he said. This type of media frenzy will come and it will go.
Mrs Blair telephoned the law firm Janes on November 22, eight days after she had sent Mr Foster an e-mail saying: We certainly are on the same wavelength.
He has been fighting deportation since August when the Home Office decided, in view of his criminal record, that his removal would be conducive to the public good.
Mrs Blair made a conference telephone call to Janes in respect of his immigraton status and in defence of any alleged criminal conduct. Ms Caplin was also on the line.
The avowed and plain purpose of the telephone call was to reassure Carole that the immigration proceedings against Peter Foster were being conducted on a regular and normal basis and there was nothing untoward. We were happy to confirm this, Janes said. We wish to emphasise that Cherie Booth, QC, did not intrude into our conduct of the proceedings and for the avoidance of doubt, had no say whatsoever in our choice of representation of counsel.
In our opinion she was simply seeking to provide support and assurance to her friend Carole and acted with complete propriety. The statement shocked Downing Street. Only last Wednesday it was taken by suprise when it was revealed that, contrary to its earlier claims, Mr Foster had helped Mrs Blair over the purchase of the flats.
Mrs Blair printed out all her e-mails in relation to the transaction and apologised if she had damaged relations between the media and No 10.
It appears that she did not tell No 10 about her phone call on behalf of Ms Caplin.
A senior aide summed up the despair in No 10 when he said: Its drip, drip, drip, drip. Downing Street issued a statement in response to Mr Fosters solicitors intervention.
It said: Mrs Blair stands emphatically by her statement that, had she known the details of Peter Fosters past, she would have been more circumspect. At no point did she interfere in the immigration case proceedings. Nor would she.
Mrs Blair gave no details of her assistance for Mr Foster in the statement she issued last week after Downing Street denied that he had helped the Blairs to buy a flat.
The Prime Ministers wife claimed that in late October she was unaware of the details of his past which has since become public. Clearly had I been aware I would have been far more circumspect in my response to what appeared to be straightforward, friendly offers of assistance from the boyfriend of a friend.
Mrs Blairs telephone call came after Mr Fosters original request for a judicial review of his expulsion was rejected by Mr Justice Maurice Kay on October 30. Mrs Blairs legal advice is reported to cost 250 an hour.
On the day of the conference call, Mr Fosters solicitors contacted Mrs Blairs chambers, Matrix, to inquire whether Heather Rogers, a senior barrister, would take the case.
Ms Rogers said she was too busy but the fact that the calls took place on the same day suggests the Prime Ministers wife was doing more than merely acting as a supportive by-stander.
Six days after Mrs Blair intervened, Mr Foster returned to the High Court, this time to claim that he should be allowed to stay in Britain under the Human Rights Act. He again failed.
Last night Martin Bell, the former MP who won his seat on an anti-sleaze ticket, joined the attack. Someone in Downing Street I think has had a common sense bypass he said on BBC2s Newsnight. This really cant go on. This is a Government . . . which came into power on the back of sleaze allegations. I think they have to get this right, and come out with the truth.

December 10, 2002

Cherie says sorry for the embarrassment
Cherie Blair tonight publicly apologised for the embarrassment she caused to her husband and to the Government in an emotional statement on the role of a convicted fraudster in the purchase of two properties in Bristol.
In a speech given at an awards ceremony Mrs Blair said she "knew that the time had come to say something" on the affair that has dogged the Government and herself for nearly two weeks. The suggestion that she might have influenced a judge in Mr Foster's deportation case finally persuaded her to act.
She emphatically denied that she had tried to influence Mr Foster's deportartion case, and attacked the media interest in the story as "frenzied".
Acknowledging she had a special position as wife of the Prime Minister and a barrister she admitted that at times she felt that it was too many "balls to juggle" and there were not "enough hours in the day.
"Sometimes the balls get dropped. I am not superwoman," she said.
She went on to defend the role of her friend Carole Caplin, who is the girlfriend of Mr Foster, the man at the heart of the furore. The Prime Minister's wife said when Mr Blair became leader of the Labour party Ms Caplin had been a "great help" for her to get her "act together" and that she has been a trusted friend as she tried to adapt to the role.
Mrs Blair said that when she heard about Carole Caplin's boyfriend Peter Foster, it really didn't cross my mind that he was going to land me in the mess that I am now in.
Mrs Blair said that Ms Caplin had told her boyfriend had been in trouble in the past but was a reformed character. She said she had "no idea" he had been jailed in this country and abroad.
Mrs Blair said she had not known the "full story" about Mr Foster until a couple of weeks ago when the police warned her that a newspaper was trying to set up a meeting. She had only met him once "for less than five minutes".
But, although she added that she did not think it is my business to choose my friend's friends, she did admit that, in hindsight, she should have asked more questions about him.
I emphatically did not try to influence this one way or another, I was simply trying to help my friend Carole find out the facts.
It is now being suggested that beyond this I also spoke twice to Mr Foster himself; I did not.
It is now being suggested tonight that because I publicly checked the available court list for the name of the judge I somehow acted improperly. I did not.
This underlines to me how frenzied and inaccurate these allegations have become," she said.
However, she admitted making two mistakes; brushing off questions in an attempt to protect her family's privacy and allowing someone whom she barely knew to become involved in her family's affairs.
Mrs Blair said all those who knew her, including the Downing Street press office, knew that "I did not act to mislead them".
At one point when she was discussing her family and how she had wanted to protect them, she fought back tears. My initial instinct ... was to protect my family, and particularly my son in his first year at university living away from home.
At the end of the speech she said she was sorry for the embarrassment she caused to her family, her husband and the Government. Ending her statement she said: Sometimes I feel I'd like to crawl away and hide, but I will not."

December 10, 2002

Full text of Cherie Blair's statement
"In view of all the controversy around me at the moment I hope you dont mind me using this event to say a few words.
"You cant have failed to notice that theres been a lot of allegations about me and I havent said anything but when I got back to Downing Street today and discovered that some of the Press are effectively suggesting that I tried to influence a judge I knew that the time had come for me to say something.
"It is not fair to Tony or to the Government that the entire focus of political debate at the moment is about me.
"I know Im in a very special position, Im the wife of the Prime Minister, I have an interesting job and a wonderful family, but I also know I am not Superwoman.
"The reality of my daily life is that Im juggling a lot of balls in the air. Some of you must experience that.
"Trying to be a good wife and mother, trying to be the Prime Ministerial consort at home and abroad and being a barrister, a charity worker, and sometimes some of the balls get dropped. There just arent enough hours in the day.
"I choose my friends carefully and Carole Caplin has been a trusted friend and support to me as I have tried to adapt to the pressures of my public roleand to do Tony and the country proud.
"When I was just a barrister I didnt spend much time worrying about how I looked but I found out quickly when Tony became leader of the Labour Party that I had to get my act together and Carole has been a great help in that.
"When she told me she had a new boyfriend and she seemed happy with him and later was expecting his baby it really didnt cross my mind that he was going toland me in the mess that I am now in, and anyway, I dont think its my business to choose my friends friends.
"In any case, what Carole told me was that hed been in trouble in the past but was a reformed character.
"Maybe I should have asked her more questions but I didnt. She told me he had been in trouble for what he said were trading standards offences but I had no idea that he had been in jail in more than one country, including in thiscountry.
"Even when I learned his name I had no idea who he was and I did not know the full story until a couple of weeks ago when the police alerted us that a newspaper was trying to set me up in a meeting with him.When I first decided to buy a flat for Euan I asked Carole to view it for me because I was unable to do so at the time.
She took Peter Foster, who at that time I had not met, with her. Afterwards he started to offer me what seemed like helpful advice which at the time I saw no reason to reject.
He was not my financial adviser but I should not have allowed a situation to develop where Tonys spokesman said he played no part in the negotiations and I take full responsibility for that.
Obviously if I had known the full details of Mr Fosters past I would not have allowed myself to get into this situation.
Even now I have only met him once, for less than five minutes.
In any event the property was purchased in an entirely lawful and proper way.
And as for the blind trust this consisted of money from the sale of our home in Islington, where we could no longer live after Tony became Prime Minister.
It was initially invested on our behalf in stocks and shares about which we had no knowledge and it was our only remaining capital with which to buy another property for our family.
When we bought the flats we were advised that the trust would be the safest way of keeping the Blair family name off the Land Registry for security reasons.
On the question of the phone call I made, which is now the subject of attention today, I can explain the background to that.
Carole was unclear about the legal process concerning his right to remain in the country.
I phoned Mr Fosters solicitor simply to put her mind at rest that the normal process was being followed.
I emphatically did not try to influence this one way or the other. I was simply trying to help my friend Carole find out the facts.
Now its being suggested that beyond this I spoke twice to Mr Foster himself. I did not.
Tonight its even being suggested that because I publicly checked the available court list for the name of the judge in some way I acted improperly. I did not.
But this underlines to me just how frenzied and inaccurate these allegations have become.
I have also been faced with allegations that I, or people in Downing Street on my behalf, telephoned the Home Office immigration department to take up Mr Fosters case or, depending on which allegation you listen to, to kick Mr Foster out of the country.
Neither set of allegations is true.
I now realise I made two mistakes.
My immediate instinct when faced with the questions from the Mail on Sunday ten days ago was to protect my familys privacy and particularly my son in his first term at university, living away from home.
This instinct, which I think any mother would have, and my desire not to open myself up to any and every question which the press should choose to ask me, is what led to the misunderstanding in the press office and I think that they know that I did not act in any way to mislead them.
The second mistake I made was to allow someone I barely knew, and indeed had not then met, to get involved with my familys affairs.
I have never wished to make a public statement like this.
Throughout all of this I have only ever wanted to protect my family and help my friend Carole.
I am sorry if I have embarrassed anyone, but the people who know me well know that I would never want to harm anyone, least of all Tony or the children or the Labour Government, or misuse my position in any way at all.
Sometimes I feel I would like to crawl away and hide but I will not, I have come here tonight to present you with your well-deserved awards and thats what Im going to do.

December 10, 2002

Tories call for inquiry into deportation of Foster
by pa news
The Tories called for an inquiry today into the attempt to deport Peter Foster, the convicted fraudster, following claims that procedings might have been brought forward to spare Downing Street further embarrassment.
Oliver Letwin, the Shadow Home Secretary, today called for a judge to look into how Mr Foster's case had been handled after it was revealed that he might be deported earlier than expected.
Speaking on BBC radio this morning, Mr Letwin pointed to a letter from Mr Foster's solicitor, released yesterday, which made it clear that last Monday the Home Office had set a date for an interview in relation to the deportation of Mr Foster for December 18. The story that Cherie Blair, the prime minister's wife, consulted Mr Foster over the purchase of two flats broke on Monday.
But, according to Mr Foster's solicitors, the Home Office then changed the dates and suggested he would be deported 12 days earlier on December 6, at the height of the story.
"That is a strange coincidence. It may be completely innocent, but I have to say it is very coincidental," Mr Letwin told the Today programme.
"It raises the question did somebody in No 10 suggest quietly to somebody in the Home Office - not ministers, I'm sure no minister was involved at all - that it would be rather nifty if they speeded up this deportation? If that did happen, obviously it is very serious."
Mr Letwin has called for the inquiry to be conducted by a judge within the next two to three days and said that it need not involve the publication of Mr Foster's personal files.
David Davis, shadow secretary for the office of the deputy prime Minister, later called for removal of the responsibility for the Ministerial Code of Conduct from the Prime Minister.
A Civil Service Act should be introduced to hand control of the code to an independent tribunal, Mr Davis said.
The Ministerial Code issued by Tony Blair sets down guidelines on how ministers, including the Prime Minister himself, should behave.
Mr Davis said that it was wrong that Mr Blair himself should decide when a breach of the Ministerial Code had occurred as he did over the Foster affair. Media reports have said that the flats were bought through a "blind trust", an investment service which is supposed to manage ministers' investments for them so that they do not know where there money is going. The idea is to keep them free of blame if there is an apparent conflictthat of interest in ownership of shares, for example.
Mr Davis said: "The Prime Minister should not be the judge in his own court.
"We have been calling on the Government to bring in a new Act and, despite promises, they have left it out of this year's Queen's Speech. It is simply wrong that the Government's inaction seems to have worked to their advantage through the present scandal.
"It is only proper that this should be put in control of a Parliamentary tribunal consisting of senior Privy Councillors, probably including a Law Lord, and of which no political party has a controlling majority.
The accusations of interference in the deportation will only heap pressure on Downing Street, which last night was forced to admit that Mrs Blair telephoned Mr Foster's solicitors to reassure Carole Caplin, Mr Foster's girlfriend and friend of Mrs Blair, that his case was being properly handled.
Last night Downing Street was forced to release a statement repeating that Mrs Blair had not known the details of Mr Foster's past and: "At no point did she interfere in the immigration case proceedings."
The Government today sought to quash the new revelations that ministers might have interfered in Mr Foster's case. Lord Falconer of Thoroton, a Home Office Minister, denied categorically any ministerial interference.
"As far as the dealings between the Home Office and Mr Foster's solicitors are concerned, they were dealt with as normal by officials. Ministers had no involvement in that whatsoever," he said.
He added that there was no need for an inquiry. He told the BBC: "There is absolutely no material that would justify an inquiry. I don't think it would be the right use of time."
Later in the morning, Downing Street felt moved to again deny that Mrs Blair had done anything wrong and accused the press of conducting "a campaign of character assasination".

Earnest

Simon:

Shouldn't this be under Mental Health and Depression (mine) rather than Bible Research ?

Edited by - Earnest on 11 December 2002 5:1:34

Angharad

LOL Earnest - I just noticed that, I've moved it into friends forum

Give Mrs Blaire an Oscar !

Simon

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